ARTICLE
9 October 2025

If Time Is Money, Great Leaders Spend It With Purpose

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AlixPartners

Contributor

AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully address their most complex and critical challenges.
The best leaders are intentional with their time. They treat it not as a calendar to be filled, but as a strategic asset to be invested.
United Kingdom Corporate/Commercial Law

Leadership on a tightrope, part 3.

The best leaders are intentional with their time. They treat it not as a calendar to be filled, but as a strategic asset to be invested.

A classic study by Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria revealed that CEOs spend just 43% of their time on activities aligned with their agenda. The rest? A staggering 36% is spent in reactive mode—swatting flies, not steering the ship. That is not leadership. That is drift.

The most effective leaders are ruthless about what they, and their organizations, stop doing. Satya Nadella, early in his tenure at Microsoft, famously cut dozens of initiatives to focus the company on cloud and AI. Indra Nooyi, during her time at PepsiCo, carved out daily time for reflection and reading—what she called "thinking time"—to stay ahead of the curve.

Every remarkable leader has some version of this: a protected hour for reflection, study, or simply to breathe. It's not indulgence. It's discipline.

Intentional time use isn't about squeezing more into the day. It's about aligning your time with your purpose. That means knowing what matters most—and having the courage to say no to everything else.

So ask yourself: What are you going to stop doing? What time are you reclaiming to think, to lead, to move your agenda forward?

Because in the end, how you spend your time is how you lead.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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