Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges

  CHAPTER 14  

Streamline Productivity

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.

—COLIN POWELL,retired four-star general and US security advisor

BUSY DOES NOT MEAN PRODUCTIVE

You know that kind of day—the one where you race around frantically, running from meeting to phone call to email. As you look back on what you accomplished, there’s little to show for your efforts. You were busy, mind-numbingly busy. Yet, you were unproductive, confoundingly unproductive.

For many leaders and frontline staff, the demands of the pandemic produced runaway busyness at the expense of demonstrable productivity. Leaders were checking in more and communicating ...