The Hidden Failure of ‘Getting Through the Day’

One of the more common patterns I see in my work as an executive coach is managers who are genuinely working hard yet making little progress on what matters most. They’re trapped in the weeds. Their days are filled with emails, meetings, tactical decisions and problem solving. By the time the urgent is dealt with, there is no time or energy left for planning, reflection or meaningful business improvement. Many say, “Once I clean up a few things, then I’ll be able to focus on the bigger picture.” As we both know that moment rarely arrives.

This isn’t a personal failure. It is a system problem. When your peers, your leader, and even customers or suppliers are also caught in the day-to-day, tactical urgency becomes contagious. Busyness is normalised and quietly rewarded. Thinking time feels indulgent. Yet Peter Drucker warned us decades ago that doing things right is far less important than doing the right things. John Wooden (American basketball coach and player, nicknamed “the Wizard of Westwood”) put it more bluntly. “Never mistake activity for achievement”.

Part of my coaching is challenging leaders to deliberately climb out of the weeds. One starting point is helping them to learn to say “no”. Greg McKeown, in his book Essentialism, reminds us that no is not a rejection of people, but a commitment to what is essential. Jim Collins takes this further with the idea of a “stop doing list”. Progress often comes not from adding priorities, but from removing distractions.

Another shift is delegation, not only downwards to team members, but sideways to peers. Many managers hold onto work because it feels quicker or safer. In doing so, they become the bottleneck Andy Grove warned against in High Output Management.

I also coach leaders to stop being so available. Constant accessibility erodes focus and creates dependency. Cal Newport reinforces this by arguing that availability is a design choice, not a virtue. Leaders who never create space train others not to think.

Finally, I encourage a simple three horizon view of the business. When today’s tactical decisions are clearly linked to medium and long-term intent, work gains meaning and direction. The weeds never disappear. Leadership is choosing not to live in them.

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