How to Set Priorities as a Leader

Every task that comes to me is urgent and important. Sound familiar? This is a challenge many of us face daily. Early in my career, prioritization was relatively straightforward—my manager told me what to focus on. But as I grew, the game changed. Suddenly, I was managing a flood of requests, far more than I could handle, and the signals from others weren’t helpful. Everything was “important.” Everything was “urgent.” Often, it was both. To handle this effectively, I realized I needed to develop an internal prioritization compass. It wasn’t easy, but it was transformative. Here are 6 strategies to help you build your own: 1/ Be crystal clear on key goals Start by understanding your organization’s goals—at the company, department, and team levels. Attend organizational forums, departmental reviews, or leadership updates to stay informed. When in doubt, use your 1:1s with leaders to ask: What does success look like? 2/ Deeply understand KPIs Metrics guide decision-making, but not all metrics are equally valuable. Take the time to understand your team's or function's key performance indicators (KPIs). Know what they measure, what they mean, and how to assess their impact. 3/ Be assertive to protect priorities Not every task deserves your attention. Practice saying “no” or deferring requests that don’t align with key goals or metrics. Assertiveness is not about being inflexible—it’s about protecting your capacity to focus on what truly matters. 4/ Set and reset expectations Priorities change, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is working on misaligned tasks. Keep open communication with your manager and stakeholders about evolving priorities. When new demands arise, clarify and reset expectations. 5/ Use 1:1s to align with your manager Leverage your 1:1s as a strategic tool. Share your current priorities, validate them against your manager’s expectations, and discuss any conflicts or challenges. 6/ Clarify the escalation process When priorities conflict, don’t let disagreements linger. If you can’t agree quickly, escalate the issue to your manager. This avoids unnecessary churn, ensures trust remains intact, and keeps momentum focused on results. PS: You won’t always get it right—and that’s okay. Treat each misstep as an opportunity to refine your compass. What’s one tip you’ve used to prioritize when everything feels urgent? --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

As CPO, I went where my calendar dictated. Then I’m sneaking glances at my email and Slack, and growing more stressed at more work accruing elsewhere. I was reactive. Each meeting spawned more follow-up meetings because I wasn't well prepared, or the right people were not present. To truly spend most of my time on my top priorities: 1️⃣ Make a top-down view of time spent that reflects your P0/P1’s. What initiatives, decisions, or strategies are they responsible for driving? 2️⃣ Divide your list into three sections: P0’s (only I can do), P1 (critical priorities that I cannot miss), and P2 (important to get done). 3️⃣ Assign a percentage of your time to each section: If your time spent reflects your priorities, this is what it should look like in aggregate. 4️⃣ Ruthlessly clean your next month of meetings. Delegate where you are not critical. Combine similar conversations. Shorten or reduce meeting frequency. Delete…and ask for forgiveness — because you’ll end up asking for it anyway on the day when you are triple-booked. Remember, if you are struggling with time management, the first step is not to open your calendar to ad hoc edit, but to map out your true priorities to set a strong foundation for your adjustments. 

Leaders: Not Everything Is an Emergency One of the biggest pitfalls in leadership that I see are VPs and directors treating every task like it’s urgent.  When everything becomes urgent ASAP today, teams experience burnout, confusion and end up spinning their wheels because this constant scrambling drives poor decision making (done being better than perfect) as well as an inability to plan because the team is always reacting. The reality is that not everything can be, or should be, urgent. Labeling every task as “urgent” doesn’t just lead to stress.... it also causes people (leaders included) to lose sight of what really drives results.  Here’s a better approach to ensuring team alignment and prioritization on what matters most: Distinguish Between Urgent and Important: Urgent tasks often have a clear, immediate deadline tied to an external factor....a client deliverable is due tomorrow OR a last-minute market shift requires immediate action. Important tasks, on the other hand, are those that advance long-term goals and priorities, like improving a sales process or strategizing for entering a new market.  Before marking something as “urgent” ask yourself: Does this task align with a short-term deadline or is it more valuable to allow time for depth and quality? Empower Prioritization: Leaders who communicate true priorities create a culture of clarity and purpose.  For example, if the primary goal for Q4 is closing deals, a leader should direct the team to prioritize sales outreach over lower-impact tasks like preparing detailed internal reports.  This teaches the team to recognize what’s core to success, what drives the mission forward and how to distinguish valuable tasks from those that are less critical. Give your Team Realistic Deadlines: A team that feels constantly rushed won’t feel supported; they’ll feel pressured. Give people room to do their best work and they will bring you better solutions, fresh perspectives and lasting results.   When teams feel trusted to meet realistic goals, they deliver work that is not only on time but also impactful.  Encourage an open dialogue around deadlines so the team members feel comfortable seeking clarification or asking for additional time, when needed. A true leader knows urgency has its place, but so does strategic patience. When you create a culture where priorities are clear and urgency is meaningful, you encourage your team to stay focused, motivated and committed to high-impact work. Next time you feel the need to sound the “urgency” bells..... ask if Is it time-sensitive or do I need my team to be focused on their top tasks with no interruption for the best results?  That will let you know if immediate action is needed or if the team can create more impact with thoughtful planning and execution. PS -> What tips do you have to prioritize a team's task list and ensure the right things get done to move the business forward? Drop your recs in the comments below

Prioritization: The Hardest Leadership Skill No One Teaches You If there’s one thing that separates great teams from struggling ones, it’s how well they prioritize. I’ve seen too many companies get stuck in a cycle of reacting to the loudest voice in the room, trying to do too much at once, or defaulting to “we’ll do it all.” The result? Slow execution, misalignment, and wasted effort. The best leaders I’ve worked with approach prioritization with discipline and clarity. They: • Start with impact. Not all work is equal. Priorities should be based on what will drive the biggest business or customer outcome, not just what sounds exciting. • Force real trade-offs. Saying “yes” to everything is just saying “no” in slow motion. Great teams make deliberate choices about what not to do. • Align execution with strategy. Priorities should ladder up to a clear, shared vision. If the work doesn’t tie to the bigger picture, why are you doing it? • Don’t let urgency replace importance. It’s easy to get caught in firefighting mode. But great leaders make sure the urgent doesn’t always crowd out the important. Prioritization isn’t just a decision-making process—it’s a leadership skill. The strongest teams aren’t just good at doing the work. They’re good at deciding what work is worth doing. How do you ensure the most important work actually gets done? #leadership #prioritization #productmanagement #technology #execution

Leaders don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they waste their time on the wrong things. And it’s worse than being busy. Most leaders are so focused on checking off tasks that they don’t stop to ask: “Should I even be doing this?” That’s how you end up running in circles instead of making progress. Enter the Eisenhower Matrix—a simple tool that forces you to stop, think, and prioritize like a leader. Here’s how it works: 1) Quadrant 1: Urgent and important This is the “firefighting” zone. It includes stuff that’s both critical and time-sensitive—like a last-minute client meltdown or a looming deadline you forgot about. Get in, handle it, and get out. You can’t afford to live here all day. 2) Quadrant 2: Important but not urgent This is where the magic happens. Strategic planning, big-picture thinking, and actual leadership live here. Block time for this like it’s a doctor’s appointment. Because if you don’t, Quadrants 1 and 3 will eat your entire day. And your vision will stay stuck in the “someday” pile. 3) Quadrant 3: Urgent but not important This is the “looks like a big deal, but really isn’t” quadrant. Think: unnecessary meetings, emails that could’ve been solved with a Google search, or anything starting with “just a quick favor.” The fix? Delegate. Urgent doesn’t mean it’s your job. Pass these tasks to someone who can handle them. Reclaim your time for what matters. 4) Quadrant 4: Neither urgent nor important This is where doom-scrolling, pointless admin tasks, and rechecking finished work go to waste your life. Delete, eliminate, or automate. The less time you spend here, the more time you have for Quadrant 2—the stuff that actually drives results. You can’t lead effectively if you’re stuck in the wrong quadrants. Stop chasing urgency. Start focusing on what really moves the needle. P.S. Which quadrant do you struggle to prioritize the most—and how do you plan to fix it? Thanks for reading. Enjoyed this post? Follow Dr. Carrie LaDue for more insights on leadership—and share it with your network.

We all know the temptation of setting too many goals at once. On paper, it feels productive as a burst of ambition or an eagerness to do everything. But in practice, it almost always leads to frustration. Instead of steady progress, we scatter our energy across competing priorities, and nothing moves forward in the way we hoped. So how do we decide what really deserves our focus? The first step is to make sure our goals align with the bigger picture. If you’re part of an organization, that means asking your boss what they view as your most important contribution this year. Not only does it ensure your efforts are relevant, but it also helps you build political capital by showing you’re invested in what matters to them. And if you’re the leader, the responsibility shifts: you need to work backwards from your company’s long-term vision. If you know where you want the business to be in three years, the goals you set today should act as stepping stones toward that future. Once you’ve identified what’s strategically important, sequencing becomes essential. Think of it as a “goal timeline.” Years back, I knew I wanted to create my own online courses. But I realized I couldn’t start there. I didn’t yet have the right skills, the right audience, or even clarity on what people wanted to learn from me. So instead, I spent three years building those foundations: learning the process by creating courses for others, growing my email list, and piloting ideas. Only then did I launch my first course. That patience and sequencing made all the difference. It also helps to identify a “keystone goal.” A goal that makes other ambitions easier to achieve. For me, writing for high-profile publications not only supported my consulting business, it also opened doors for speaking engagements and book sales. By focusing on one keystone, multiple other goals fell into place. And finally, once you’ve chosen your focus, you have to stick with it. I often see clients second-guess themselves because they notice peers succeeding with completely different strategies. It’s easy to get distracted. The antidote is what I call “willful myopia”: committing to a goal for at least six months. That consistency gives your work the runway it needs to bear fruit. The truth is, in our culture, there’s always pressure to do more, and to do it faster. But lasting success often comes from doing less, with greater intention. By carefully choosing the right goal and giving it the focus it deserves, you create the conditions for meaningful, long-term results.

Your first 90 days as a leader will define the next 3 years. (No pressure) Whether you're a new CEO, a VP stepping up, or a first-time department head, it doesn't matter. The principles are all the same. These 90 days set the tone for everything: How you're seen, how the team runs, how fast you can actually get things done. I've watched leaders blow it by moving too fast.  And I've watched others stall out by waiting too long to act. Both paths lead to the same place: playing catch-up for the next year. So here are 7 ways to nail your first 90 days as a leader: 1️⃣ Understand Before You Change Don't walk in with a plan to "fix" things on day one. Spend your first 30 days learning how the place really operates.  How decisions actually get made, who has influence, where things get stuck. You can't fix what you haven't taken time to understand. 2️⃣ Get Everyone Pointed in the Same Direction If your team isn't clear on where you're headed, speed doesn't help.  Slow down long enough to make sure everyone sees the same destination. Then accelerate. 3️⃣ Define What Winning Looks Like Early Don't let someone else decide what success means for you. Sit down with your team and your boss.  Get specific about what a great first quarter looks like. Write it down. Agree on it. 4️⃣ Pick 3 to 5 Priorities and Protect Them You're not going to fix everything in 90 days. If you try, you'll spread yourself so thin nothing actually gets done.  Pick a few things. Say no to the rest. That discipline is what separates good leaders from busy ones. 5️⃣ Build Trust Sideways, Not Just Downward Your direct reports matter, but so do your peers.  The relationships you build across the leadership team will determine how much you can actually accomplish later. Don't wait to invest in those. 6️⃣ Call Out Misalignment Early When something's off, whether it's a person, a process, or a priority, name it.  Don't let it fester. Having the hard conversation early builds more trust than avoiding it ever will. 7️⃣ Block Time to Think This one's easy to skip - make sure you don't.  The quality of your decisions will matter more than the number of meetings you attend. If you're reacting all day, you're just keeping up. The first 90 days aren't about proving you belong. They're about laying the foundation you'll build on for years. Of course, problems WILL come up in this period. But how you handle them sets the tone for everything. I wrote a whole book on this. It's called Issues, and it will be coming out soon!   Pre-save it here: https://bit.ly/4rDW7Be I also write a weekly newsletter called Clarity Break Thoughts. If you want to keep improving how you think and lead with simple tools, subscribe here: https://bit.ly/4alJ1To If you could go back to your first 90 days in a leadership role, what's one thing you'd do differently? ♻️ Share this and tag someone who is stepping into a new role, or has done recently! Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more. 

Even great leaders experience decision fatigue. Here's how they reset. I've coached many capable leaders who've guided strong teams and delivered results. But there are moments when the pressure piles up. They’re leading meetings, making calls, solving problems but inside, they’re stretched. → The to-do list never shrinks. → Everything feels important. → And the space to think clearly, disappears. It’s not about competence. It’s capacity. Every leader, no matter how experienced, feels overwhelmed sometimes. It doesn’t mean they’re off track. It means it’s time to pause, zoom out, and reset. The right framework can help you direct your time, energy, and execution. Here are five to use depending on the challenge you face: Eisenhower Matrix ↳ Best for protecting deep work. ↳ Focus on what's urgent and important. ↳ Use it when you need clarity. ICE Scoring ↳ Best when ranking initiatives. ↳ Give each idea a score from 1-10. ↳ Use it to choose between multiple options. High-Leverage Matrix ↳ Best when prioritizing your time. ↳ Focus on high effort and high leverage. ↳ Use it when you feel stretched thin. Values x Results Matrix ↳ Best for aligning priorities with purpose. ↳ Prioritize your values with high results. ↳ Use it to align your work with your values. Bullseye Framework ↳ Best for prioritizing strategic bets. ↳ Filter all ideas to the top 2 priorities. ↳ Use it to choose where to direct limited resources. Knowing when to use these allows you to make faster decisions without losing clarity. When you've mastered that, you guide your team with confidence and focus, no matter the challenge. Which of one these do you use? -------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other leaders you know. ➕ Follow Ben Sands for daily advice on business and leadership. 📬 4,000 CEOs get my newsletter every week. Click here to join them: https://lnkd.in/eXiRx-HZ

Lead better. Think better. 5 leadership protocols to upgrade your career (and your team): Protocol 1: Weekly Priority Reset Most leaders let priorities drift based on whatever feels urgent rather than systematically realigning around what matters. Every Monday morning, identify your top three outcomes for the week. Share these with your team. Review Friday afternoon whether you achieved them. This weekly reset prevents drift and maintains focus on high-impact work. Protocol 2: Immediate Problem Escalation Response When team members bring you problems, most leaders either solve them immediately (creating dependency) or defer them indefinitely (creating frustration). Use this protocol: Ask three questions first - "What have you already tried? What do you think we should do? What do you need from me?" Then decide whether to coach them to their own solution or make the call yourself. This develops judgment while maintaining momentum. Protocol 3: Monthly One-on-One Structure Most one-on-ones lack structure, becoming status updates that waste time without building relationships or addressing real issues. Follow this agenda: 10 minutes on their priorities and obstacles, 10 minutes on their development and growth, 10 minutes on feedback both directions. This consistent structure ensures critical conversations happen regularly rather than only during crises. Protocol 4: Decision Documentation Practice Most leaders make decisions without recording their reasoning, preventing learning from outcomes and repeating the same mistakes. For important decisions, write down: the decision, your reasoning, what you expect to result, date for review. Schedule calendar reminders to review outcomes versus expectations. This converts experience into systematic improvement of your decision-making. Protocol 5: Team Performance Review Cadence Most leaders give feedback reactively when problems occur or formally during annual reviews, missing the continuous improvement that regular assessment creates. Implement monthly performance conversations: what's working well, what needs adjustment, specific actions for improvement. Brief, consistent feedback beats comprehensive annual reviews because course correction happens while issues are small. *** Loved this post? Repost it with your network & follow Rush Ricketson for more insights.