Introduction
People think CEOs are superhuman because they manage to get so much done in one day. The truth is, Chief Executive Officers are only human–just like the rest of us. So how did they do it? It’s less about magic and more about focus and time management.
Most people struggle to stay productive and often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks.
In this post, we’ll reveal the best productivity hacks some top Chief Executives use to stay on top of their game, and how you can implement them in your own life.
What is a Productivity Hack?
The term “productivity hacks” refers to simple, easy-to-apply tricks to improve productivity. When you’re able to do a lot of work in a short amount of time, you’re considered productive.
If you find an easy trick or clever way to do this that is considered a hack so you put the two together and you have a productivity hack. Let’s get into it.
What are the top CEO Productivity Hacks?
1. Eat Those Elephant Tasks
Successful entrepreneurs don’t let big tasks scare them. They find a way to chop the huge tasks into manageable actions.
Smaller tasks are executed far more quickly than intimidating ones. When explaining this concept, I usually ask, “How do you eat an elephant?” Faces twisted in rubbery expressions of confusion as I answer,
“One bite at a time.”
At Zapier, CEO Wade Foster breaks down big tasks into small, actionable steps. “My biggest “hack” for productivity is to break a task into the small piece that’s actionable.
That way I can get started. As soon as I do that you start to realize big tasks don’t feel quite so big.”
2. Question Your Priorities
If you’re an entrepreneur, everything has to be done all the time. If you’re aiming for productivity, you have to be very selective about what is most important. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself, “Is this absolutely necessary?”
Constant analysis of daily activity is how Pandora’s founder Tim Westergren stays productive each day. Writing on LinkedIn, he shares:
“These are hard choices, but I do believe that when it comes to productivity, no email efficiency technique, calendaring trick, or special filing system will have near the impact of being smart about what you work on.”
3. Prioritize Like a CEO: The 80/20 Rule
The Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) is a productivity principle that has been used by many CEOs to consider the way their efforts contribute to their overall success. It states that 20% of efforts yield 80% of results.
Focus on high-impact tasks that drive growth or results. CEOs constantly prioritize and delegate lower-impact tasks.
Identify your top 20% tasks by reviewing your day/week. What are the tasks that bring the most value? Prioritize these and delegate or eliminate the rest.3. Break Your Smartphone’s Leash
Our smartphones are smart,er than we think. They’ve found a way to turn us into their loyal subjects. Like a parasite, feeds off of the resources of the host, our mobile devices devour our time and attention.
Ometria founder Ivan Mazour disconnects from mobile tech by keeping things on silent
4. Review Paths To Results In Your Mind
When you have a goal in mind, find the most efficient pat to it–in your mind. That’s right. Before starting on any venture, map out the path you are going to take. This helps to keep a steady sequence to your actions.
Kanbanery founder Paul Klipp is a self-professed productivity geek who’s got his daily routine down to a science, thanks to mind maps.
In practice, Klipp uses a multistep process to empty his mind by mapping out everything that needs to be done, establishing priorities, and setting tasks up for the week.
5. Ramp Up Your Energy Reserves
Ok. I have to admit that I don’t always exercise as often as I should. I can tell you, however, that working out boosts your overall energy output.
Kirill Makharinsky, cofounder of Enki, , Makharinsky states:
“I aim to do an intense 1-hour workout in the late afternoon of every day (usually a hard swim, bike ride, Crossfit or Barry’s bootcamp), which provides me plenty of energy to keep focus until late in the evening. Depending on your schedule and morning/evening work habits, you may choose a different time or a different workout type. But I estimate that I am often up to 50% more productive on the days I stick to this habit relative to those when I don’t.”
6. Time Blocking: Protect Your Time Like a CEO
Time blocking is scheduling specific blocks of time for deep work, meetings, and breaks. Yes even breaks. When I implement this productivity hack, the brakes are sometimes the most important parts of my time blocking.
When you schedule your own breaks, I promise you, they are guilt-free breaks.
You know they’re part of a greater plan to be more productive throughout your day. You don’t have to worry if you’re wasting time because you’ve already scheduled it in.
It might sound crazy, but working less can actually mean working more productively. I wrote a post explaining how the body has a rhythm of peak and recharge points in a 24 hour period.
A study led by Emily Hunter, Ph.D., and Cindy Wu, Ph.D., at Baylor University found that the more time that had passed since the beginning of the workday, the less useful a break was.
Successful CEOs guard their time by setting aside blocks for high-priority tasks and decision-making.
Use a calendar to block time for focused work, emails, and even breaks. Stick to this schedule religiously to avoid distractions and maintain flow.
7. Ruthless Delegation
CEOs don’t do everything themselves. They delegate effectively to free up their time for strategic decision-making. They identify their strengths and delegate tasks that can be done by others, ensuring they focus on areas where they add the most value.
If I’m being completely honest, this is one of the things that I find difficult to do.
I’m one of those people who believe if you want it done right you have to do it yourself. This is a great perspective if you’re aiming for quality, and absolutely terrible if you are aiming for scalability.
Start small by outsourcing or delegating simple tasks. Gradually delegate more complex tasks to competent people to free up your time for high-level work.
8. Focus on Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue is when the quality of decisions deteriorates after making a large number of decisions. This is one of those deceptive vices which CEOs have to consider in their daily workflow.
When making decisions, you are carrying all of those factors and possible outcomes in your mind until you decide. if you can imagine, your brain runs a thousand miles per minute up until and even after you make the decision. After you settle, it’s natural to wonder if you made the right choice.
CEOs streamline their decision-making processes by reducing trivial choices (e.g., wearing similar outfits or simplifying their routines). This is why you see me wearing the staple black t-shirt in most of my videos on YouTube.This is one less decision that I need to labor over.
My focus is getting content out to those leaders and owners who want to make a difference in their life, family, business, and circle. What I wear on camera is literally one of the last things I want to be thinking about.
Reduce the number of decisions you make daily by automating, simplifying, or standardizing aspects of your routine—like meal prepping or automating bills.
9. Commit to Learning and Improvement
Top CEOs allocate time for self-development through reading, networking, or learning new skills.
Brian Tracy a world-renowned Business Expert once popularized the idea of allocating 3% of your income towards growth and education. The idea is that as you invest in learning and growing your income will also increase. In turn, the amount of money you allocate to learning and growing will increase as well.
They ensure they remain at the cutting edge by dedicating time for personal growth and learning new industry trends or productivity techniques.
Set aside at least 30 minutes to 1 hour daily for learning—whether it’s reading a book, attending webinars, or listening to podcasts.
Conclusion
By prioritizing tasks, time-blocking, delegating, minimizing decision fatigue, and committing to continuous learning, you can boost your productivity to CEO levels.
Implement one of these hacks today and notice the difference in your productivity. What CEO productivity hack will you start with?
