Diane sat back and scanned her calendar. Every slot was booked. Back-to-back meetings, urgent requests, “can’t-miss” opportunities.
She sighed. “I’m working harder than ever, but it doesn’t feel like we’re moving forward.”
Jack smiled. “That’s the trap. You’re prioritizing everything — which means you’re not prioritizing at all.”
Diane frowned. “But everything on my calendar is important, even that meeting at the Tastee-Freez.”
“Important isn’t the same as impactful,” Jack said as he ate his chili dog. “Most leaders don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they lack clarity. And clarity comes from making the hard tradeoffs — deciding what drives transformation, and what’s just transaction.”
Diane thought about it. She had been saying yes to everything — every project, every idea, every demand. The result wasn’t progress. It was noise.
“Try this,” Jack said. “Pick three things that will transform your business this quarter. Focus relentlessly on those. Let the rest go. You’ll be surprised how much stronger your team becomes when they finally see what really matters.”
Diane nodded slowly. For the first time in weeks, she felt lighter. Not because her calendar was empty — but because it finally made sense.
P.S. If you want more leadership lessons like this, check out my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@aimtowinheartbasedleadersh1574