Helping ambitious managers reclaim their time and be exceptional leaders. Weekly advice, how-tos and latest thinking to get you ahead.
The real reason your leadership advice isn't working (it's not what you think)
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Hi there, You know what good leadership looks like, don't you? You've got a mental list of all the things you should be doing - more coaching conversations, better delegation, strategic thinking time. The problem isn't that you don't know what to do. It's that you never seem to have the time to actually do it. You've watched the videos, read the articles, maybe even attended those workshops about accountability and strategic thinking. But here's what's happening: you're trying to layer all that brilliant advice on top of all that day-to-day work. And that never works. The missing piece? You need a system first. Think about it - when did you last give yourself an hour to actually plan out your priorities? If you're like most managers I work with, the answer is "not very often." The result? You spend most of your time on what's urgent instead of what's important. The result you get that tight feeling in your chest as you bounce from one email to the next, watching your actual priorities get pushed to tomorrow... again. But here's what shocked me when I finally cracked this: The managers who seem effortlessly organised aren't working more hours than you. They're just working differently. Just 22 hours a quarter differently. That's it. 22 hours out of 520 working hours in a quarter - 4% of your time that makes everything else more effective. One 90-minute focus block per week plus one quarterly planning session. Time to think about your work, your people, your stakeholders, and your own development. All the key parts you need to lead well. Because without this time, you're just reacting and managing the work. You're not leading it. I know what you might be thinking: "Helen, I can't find 90 minutes." But here's the hard truth - if you can't find 90 minutes a week to lead, that's not a time issue. It's a prioritisation issue. And this system is exactly what helps you fix that. Want to see how this works in practice? In this week’s video I walk through what I call the Manager Operating System - including what to do in those 90 minutes and how to protect the time. The difference between managers and leaders? Managers react to work. Leaders create the conditions for great work to happen. You're capable of being that strategic leader. You just need the right system to make it happen. If you're ready to go deeper and want the complete step-by-step framework, my Manager OS Course walks you through building this entire system from scratch. Because when you have clarity, your team thrives. What's one leadership tip you know but struggle to implement consistently? Hit reply and let me know - chances are, you're not alone. Have a great week, Helen P.S. Know a fellow manager who you think would find these leadership lessons valuable? Forward this email to them! Your one share could be the breakthrough they need. Together, we can build better leaders.
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Leadership Accelerator Newsletter
Helping ambitious managers reclaim their time and be exceptional leaders. Weekly advice, how-tos and latest thinking to get you ahead.
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