Everyone says they’re busy. It’s practically a badge of honor at this point. You ask someone how they’re doing and the answer is almost always, “Oh, you know, busy.” But here’s the question I’ve been sitting with lately: Is all of that busyness actually productive? And more importantly, is it the kind of work that helps us lead well?
The Shift from Doing to Leading
I was having a conversation with Sunny the other day, over coffee after our Gratitude moment, as we usually do. We ask each other a lot of questions. It’s one of the things I value most about our dynamic. This past week he asked me, “What is something you’re learning this year?” And my answer surprised even me a little. I told him I’m becoming an active student of hiring.
Here’s why. I know that in my role as the integrator, I don’t necessarily need to be the one doing the work. My job is to find the right “whos” to get the work done. That means finding the right people within our organization, the ones who understand their responsibilities and can fully own them. The only way I can truly step out of doing the work myself is if I hire the right team members and the right leaders. That takes focus. Real, intentional focus.
Every single meeting produces a list of to-dos. That list grows. It piles up. And if you’re not careful, you end up buried under a mountain of tasks that feel urgent but are not actually moving the needle. The shift I’ve been working on is learning to take that long list and identify the highest priorities. What actually matters most right now? Then, finding the right whos to make those things happen.
Sometimes that means filtering through everything that gets put on our plates and asking a harder question: Which leader is supposed to own this? The temptation, especially for those of us who are overachievers, guilty as charged, is to just take it on ourselves. We see something that needs to be done, and our instinct is to jump in, help, and support our people. That instinct is not bad. But there is a line.
There is a difference between giving someone the answer and teaching them how to find the answer. One creates dependency. The other builds capability. If we’re honest, giving people the answer is often faster in the moment, which is exactly why busy leaders default to it. But it is not what builds a strong team over time.
When Busy Becomes a Bottleneck
If you have open roles on your team, you must roll up your sleeves and get the work done. That is reality. But what do you do when you have a leader sitting in a role and they are not getting their work done? When they tell you they are busy but the results are not there?
That is a different conversation. That is where you step in and help them prioritize and understand where the most value is being added. Then you challenge them to look at their own whos. Do they have the right team members to execute on their tasks and goals? Because being busy cascades. If your leaders are not evaluating their teams, the bottleneck does not stay at their level. It trickles down.
It is a conundrum. One that forces you to take a hard look at your teams and ask yourself a tough question: Do I have the right team member to help execute on this? Here is the gut check. If you do not have confidence that the work will get done, then your answer is no. Not maybe. Not let’s wait and see. No. That is a clear signal that something needs to change.
If some coaching is required and you are halfway there, then let’s talk about it. Let’s discuss how much time we invest, what the development plan looks like, and what the timeline is. There is nothing wrong with developing someone. But it has to be intentional, and you have to be honest about whether the investment is worth it.
Here is what I keep coming back to. Being busy does not mean we are productive. It does not mean we are doing the work that adds the most value to our teams. It simply means we are doing tasks. And doing tasks is not the same as leading with impact.
Leadership requires us to zoom out, prioritize ruthlessly, and trust the right people to execute. That is not easy. But it is the work that actually matters.
So, this week, I will leave you with this. Take a look at your to-do list. How much of it is busy work, and how much of it is the work only you can do? If the balance is off, it might be time to rethink your whos.
