Are Senior Leaders Too Busy to Think?

 We speak often of productivity, but rarely of purposeful reflection. Most senior leaders are now locked into calendars that stretch from 8am to 6pm and beyond—leaving little room for the kind of clear, strategic thinking that defines great leadership.

Research from Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index found that the average manager attends 250% more meetings than in 2020. Yet their sense of clarity and strategic alignment has declined. The brain cannot function optimally in permanent “meeting mode.”

So, what can be done?

• Schedule thinking time: Protect one or two hours per week—non-negotiable.

• Shorten meetings: Use 25- or 50-minute slots to allow decompression.

• Model it: If leaders show that white space matters, others will follow.

Productivity without perspective is a false economy. In a world of infinite demands, the best leaders are those who deliberately carve out time to think—not just act.