Busyness is killing strategic thinking. Here’s how to prevent that from happening

There’s a saying I’ve found myself sharing in coaching conversations with senior leaders lately. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It’s my response to a significant pattern playing out right now across every sector I work in, and that’s constant busyness masquerading as leadership. We know from the Microsoft Work Trend Index 2025 that 80% of employees and leaders lack sufficient time or energy to do their work. Meetings are ad hoc and continue after hours. Some 52% of leaders say their work feels chaotic and fragmented. These leaders are facing the biggest shifts or inflection points their businesses have possibly ever experienced. For many, this is daunting. Every week brings AI breakthroughs. Geopolitical tensions explode overnight, impacting supply chain and fuel costs. Fear and uncertainty affect spending behavior, while new players enter the market with greater ease. And while some leaders have been forecasting this, many have been caught off guard. Either way, the response is often the same—get busy. Busyness as a way to regain a sense of control Many leaders do this as a reaction to feeling overwhelmed. Old patterns and habits kick into gear, and what keeps them feeling in control and confident about the job they’re doing is to get busy and do. Who doesn’t love just getting in, working hard, and getting stuff done? The sense of achievement is high, and your calendar is full. You feel a sense of urgency and action, and it’s addictive. It quells the uncertainty, models clarity, and signals to the team that it’s all under control. This, of course, is a folly. Control is not the answer, and it’s not often possible when we’re at critical inflection points in life or in business. What constant busyness is actually costing you All of this activity might seem helpful. However, when leaders pick up the slack, they often find themselves compensating for poor performance and lack of accountability in their teams. What they should be doing is addressing the i