In a recent session with a great client, we IDS’d (Identify, Discuss, and Solve) an issue that comes up all the time with entrepreneurial leaders:
“I don’t have enough time!”
Sound familiar?
As a team, we dug in and made a list of tools and mindsets that can help any leader take back control of their time and spend more of it in what Dan Sullivan calls their Unique Ability—the things they love and are great at.
Here are the top 10 tools and reminders we discussed:
1. EOS Delegate and Elevate Tool
This EOS classic helps leaders categorize their work into four quadrants:
- Don’t like / Not good at
- Don’t like / Good at
- Like / Good at
- Love / Great at
The goal? Spend as much time as possible in the last quadrant—the things you love to do and are great at (your Unique Ability).
2. The Eisenhower Matrix
As Mark O’Donnell recently shared, this simple but powerful tool helps you prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. Don’t confuse busy with productive. The Eisenhower Matrix will help you focus your time on what actually matters.
3. Time Blocking
If it’s not on your calendar, it probably won’t get done. Protect your time for high-value activities. Block it. Defend it. Schedule time for your most important activities in the time when you have the most energy and focus. If lesser tasks drop off or need to be picked up by others—so be it.
4. 80/20 Thinking
As Richard Koch explains in The 80/20 Principle, often the first 20% of your effort produces 80% of the results. Be okay with that. Make progress. The first 20% often only takes a few focused minutes. After that, move on. You’ll usually get another bite at the apple later.
5. Eliminate End Runs
One of the 5 Rules of Rocket Fuel is to eliminate end runs. Leaders often waste time doing other people’s jobs. When someone tries to go around the accountable person, redirect them:
“Are you going to go talk to them or are we going together?”
Don’t fall into the trap of doing others' work just because it makes you feel needed or helpful. You’ll stifle their growth, distract yourself from your Unique Ability, and waste time.
6. Don’t Take Other People’s Monkeys
In The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, authors Ken Blanchard, William Oncken Jr., and Hal Burrows offer a key reminder: Don’t let others hand you their monkeys. Coach, advise, support—but the monkey stays with them.
7. Every Yes is a No to Something Else
Be clear on your boundaries and your bandwidth. Every time you say “yes” to something, you’re saying “no” to something else—potentially something far more important.
8. Trust Your Team
In EOS, we work hard to get the right people in the right seats (thank you, Jim Collins).
- A right person aligns with your company’s core values.
- A person in the right seat GWCs the roles of the seat (they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do each of the roles of the seat well).
Your job is to build a team of people who fit your culture and GWC their seats—and then trust them. Coach when needed. Don’t micromanage.
9. Put It on the Issues List
If you’re tempted to just do it yourself because teaching takes too long, pause. If it’s not urgent or mission-critical, add it to your Issues List. IDS it at your next Level 10 Meeting™. That one conversation can save you from solving the same issue ten more times in the future.
10. Take a Clarity Break
When you feel overwhelmed, take a step back. Take a clarity break and ask:
“What’s one thing I could eliminate, automate, or delegate that would free up the most time?”
Clarity breaks create space for better decisions—and better leadership.
Final Thought:
One simple truth: No one is going to solve your time problem for you.
If you’re too busy and not living in your Unique Ability, it’s time to use the tools available. You don’t need perfection. You just need intention.
If you want to learn more about how EOS can help you and your leadership team get Vision, Traction, and Healthy, let’s talk.
“Links to tools, people, and books are embedded above if you want to explore further.”