A Leader’s Use of Time
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 provides a great perspective on time. The writer, likely King Solomon, points out that we all exist for appointed seasons--we have a limited set duration. There are purposes and delights regarding this existence--and hardship and loss. The classic rock band of the 60's, The Byrds, borrowed from this passage of scripture to add a contemporary understanding of time in their song Turn, Turn, Turn, especially as it related to war and peace. There is an inherent understanding for all of us that time is intrinsically meaningful and that it is constantly slipping away.
The Greek philosopher Theophrastus stated, "Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." Theophrastus understood that time, from a human perspective, cannot be stopped or reversed. It is the one resource we possess that cannot be added to or hoarded but only spent. Time, by definition and understanding, includes this moment and the seasons of our lives.
Time is a very precious leadership commodity. And yet, I see more and more leaders stumbling over their use of time, often to the destruction of themselves and those they lead. In our culture's hyper-focus on productivity and hustle, we can become bound by time rather than free to use it. Time is always spent, but it can also be invested. We all have the same amount of time on any given day. We can allow time to happen or invest our time according to priorities and purpose. To do so requires the intentional activity of scheduling.
To schedule is to appoint, assign, or designate a period of time for a specific purpose. From this definition, you can immediately see where the problems emerge. Leaders are problem magnets and often live in a state of urgency. Over time, a leadership life of urgency leads to frantic decisions, a dubious sense of presence, and burnout. Below are five principles of managing time that have served me well.
Schedule Time According to Your Roles
There is a tendency to schedule this precious resource of time according to activity instead of roles. This approach to scheduling will always lean toward an over-allocation of time toward your vocation--and even then, it will lead to a skewed understanding of your vocation.
Every leader has several roles. You are a manager, director, VP, or CEO. But you also carry one or more of these roles: mother, father, son, daughter, board member, volunteer, student, and friend. These roles matter, too. They are the ones you likely don't get paid to do but also provide real meaning to your life. Yet the rest get our leftover unintentional moments because of our vocational roles. Even your vocational role likely includes several sub-roles worthy of your consideration.
To schedule according to role, we must clearly define all our essential roles and prioritize them so that they receive our proper attention, energy, and time.
Think of Each Day According to the Law of Thirds
This axiom is a simple and obvious concept that often needs to be included in our thinking regarding scheduling. Each day in our modern world has three parts where we are awake and productive: morning, afternoon, and night. Each section contains a four-hour window we can intentionally manage--8 to noon, one to five, and six to ten. This construct can and will vary for different people and on different days. But think of it this way--work two-thirds of your day and rest or invest relationally during one-third of your day. Hustle culture will tempt you to work a three-thirds day, which is a recipe for nothing good over time.
Place a Priority of Managing Your Energy Over Managing Your Time
You have probably heard this principle before: Manage your energy rather than simply managing your time. Simply managing our time can stray toward managing and scheduling what is most urgent, not most important. Each day, we must give our best energy to that which is most important. This also means you know which part of your two-thirds day you show up with the most emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical energy.
My best energy moments are always in the morning. The most important thing I can do with my high-energy widow is strategic thinking or content creation. Both of these elements are vital to my calling and focus on "unleashing leaders worthy of being followed." I need a clear heart and mind to accomplish both of these tasks.
Therefore, I place most of my coaching appointments (which is fully half of my business) in the afternoons. This is not because my coaching clients are less critical. On the contrary, they deserve my day's best, well-planned moments. My strategic thinking and content creation time prepare me for my afternoon coaching sessions. I show up way better because I have given my highest energy moments to thinking, preparation, and creation. I am also a mild extrovert, so by the time my coaching sessions happen, they renew and feed my energy. I get life from using my strategic and creative gifts and from deeply connecting with leaders. But one precedes the other. One needs my best time and attention, which requires more energy. The latter fuels my energy. If you are managing your energy well towards the most essential activities of your life and vocation, you will make better use of your finite time.
Know Your Boundaries
Henry Cloud defines boundaries this way,
"Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end, and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom. Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. Boundaries help us keep the good in and the bad out. Setting boundaries inevitably involves taking responsibility for your choices. You are the one who makes them. You are the one who must live with their consequences. And you are the one who may be keeping yourself from making the choices you could be happy with. We must own our own thoughts and clarify distorted thinking." (Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life)
Sometimes, leaders do not exhibit good boundaries in their choices, which leads to a schedule reflective of being overly responsible for the actions and feelings of others. Be intentional about your choices and take ownership of your time rather than allowing all of the needs of others to overwhelm you.
Invest Time in Yourself
It is really easy as a leader to not schedule time for yourself. Establish life-giving rhythms daily and throughout the year. Don't skip vacations. Don't work when you are on vacation. Don't work seven days a week. Invest in your other critical life roles. Spend daily time in solitude, reading the Bible and conversing with God. Take intentional breaks throughout the day. Research has shown that we should take breaks about every 90-120 minutes. Consider sabbath. Consider a sabbatical. One of the best ways to serve everyone under your influence is to care for yourself and show up with your whole self.
Other Thoughts for Consideration
Don't let busyness become a badge of honor.
Pace is the key to finishing, and pacesetters are necessary.
You are never fully present when you are always in a hurry.
Use a good, thoughtful tool to aid you in being a thoughtful planner. I love using the Monk Manual. (https://monkmanual.com/)
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