The ‘Busyness Is Laziness’ Paradox: Why Overworking Hurts Your Leadership

Some leaders often wear their packed schedules like a badge of honour. 

Hands up. I used to do the same (for more years than I care to remember).

Constant busyness isn’t a sign of productivity—it’s a sign you’re stuck in reactive mode, avoiding the ‘harder’ work of focusing, delegating and prioritising.

Yep. Been there.

Working like a demon didn’t make me wiser.  It made me muddled, distracted and exhausted. I made silly mistakes. I was grumpy and unfit.

Here’s what I’ve learned since.

1. The power of  Space-Time: Regular time to reflect, plan and reset. It won’t happen by accident. I get my best ideas when I’m pottering about, not trying too hard.
2. The joy of closing open loops: I write down all my tasks, however small, on a whiteboard so I avoid all that ‘I forgot to give the cat his flea treatment’ and ‘I forgot to book a hair appointment, and now it’s too late’. You know the kind of thing I mean. It frees up my executive brain to focus on the more important things.
3. Saying No works: I’m done with saying ‘yes’ to things that waste my time and energy.  I highly recommend you protect your energy by declining meetings or tasks that don’t align with your priorities. (Honestly, they’ll get over it).

2025 is about doing the right things well and making space for what truly matters.  It is for me, and I hope it is for you too.

This week’s activity: Say ‘no’ to something this week that you would normally (out of habit) say ‘yes’ to.

P.S. Want to rise above the busyness so you can show up as the strategic, impactful leader you know you’re meant to be? My 90 day Lead with Confidence programme (starting in April) will get you moving. Click here for the details.