How great leaders thrive (7 Productivity Habits)

Before we get to today’s post, I have exciting news. We have two open seats in our Becoming Ultraproductive 1:1 coaching program starting in April. 

Through the program, I help executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs build rock-solid habits for deep focus, deep sleep, mastering stress, and other productivity-related topics — to increase their productivity by between 100% and 900%.

Since 2023, I’ve personally helped 80+ executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs through this program. It includes six 1:1 sessions with me, tailor-made systems to master focus, sleep, and stress for good — and a guaranteed 100% increase in productivity.

The 1:1 coaching program is limited to ten seats at a time. If you’re interested in one of the two open seats, learn more about it and book a free discovery call with me here. Spots are filled on a first come, first served basis.

On to today’s post!

“If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will.” – Greg McKeown

Why it works

Greg McKeown (pictured) is a British-American author and speaker known for his bestselling books Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. In his work, he advocates a simpler, more intentional approach to productivity — one rooted in clarity, focus, and the courage to eliminate the nonessential.

In both Essentialism and Effortless, McKeown challenges the glorification of busyness and hustle culture. Instead, he invites readers to pause, reflect, and ask: “What is truly vital?” Prioritization and deliberateness are not side habits in his philosophy; they are the foundation. McKeown reminds us that the way of the essentialist is not about getting more things done, but about getting the right things done with clarity and purpose.

With that in mind, here are 7 productivity habits — rooted in the same spirit of essentialism — that high-performing leaders use to align their time, energy, and attention with what matters most.

How to do it

1) They block time for deep, uninterrupted work
Successful leaders carve out distraction-free time to focus on high-value work that drives results. They start by going into “Ultrafocus” mode for about an hour daily. This amount alone doubles overall productivity, McKinsey found. Follow our 30-3-11 Rule and pick one of three times to focus deeply: ~30 minutes after waking, ~3 hours after waking, or ~11 hours after waking. These times are when you’re best able to focus (due to your “circadian rhythm”). Learn more about optimizing for deep focus here.

2) They simplify decision-making
They cut through distractions, eliminate low-value choices, and use clear frameworks to make fast, effective decisions. Instead of trying to do everything, they zero in on the 20% of tasks that lead to 80% of impact – and reduce, automate, or delegate (see #6) the rest. Also known as the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule applies to many business and life domains – including your tasks, activities, and decisions. Here are ten powerful ideas to get you started.

3) They create routines that work
Consistent habits reduce decision fatigue, keeping them focused on high-impact tasks. One simple yet powerful way to build structure into your day is Timeboxing. Popularized by productivity expert Nir Eyal, Timeboxing turns tasks into calendar appointments. Instead of reacting to your inbox or to-do list, you proactively plan when to do what by turning everything you do into an appointment with yourself. Learn more about Timeboxing here.

4) They communicate clear expectations
They set clear goals, timelines, and priorities so their team always knows what success looks like. A proven method for this is using stress goals: set three ambitious, meaningful and difficult professional yearly stress goals; break these down into three weekly goals each Monday (see #7); and then do one thing daily to reach each goal. To delve deeper into stress goals, read this article.

5) They manage their energy, not just their time
They prioritize rest, movement, and breaks to stay sharp and perform at their best. The foundation of our energy — as well as our health and performance in every domain — is sleep. Yet, mere quantity (i.e., 8 hours of shallow sleep) isn’t good enough. You also need quality sleep, most notably 90 minutes of deep sleep. Get started with our 3T Method (around time givers, technology, and timing) here.

6) They delegate for maximum impact
They trust their team with tasks so they can focus on strategy, growth, and innovation. Shake Shack co-founder Danny Meyer uses a simple 2x2 matrix to delegate smartly: high-will, low-skill employees get trained and mentored; high-skill, high-will ones receive the complex, most challenging tasks; low-will, high-skill colleagues are motivated and engaged; and low-will, low-skill ones are moved to a different role. If you’d like to learn more about delegating well, read this.

7) They review and reset priorities weekly
Weekly check-ins help them stay aligned with goals and quickly adapt to new challenges. A great way to do this is to set three major weekly goals for the week, and then break these goals down into three daily goals each morning. Having three goals forces you to figure out what matters most and lets you maintain awareness, deliberateness and intentionality at work. Learn more about how and why in this article.

Start with one habit. Master it. 

Then move to the next.

Your future self will thank you.

Also, please share this post with someone who might like it.

Until next month,
Christian

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