“Busy” is Not a Game Plan: Lead Like an Elite Athlete

Valentine’s week is behind us, and while some are still reminiscing over chocolates and flowers (or recovering from their Super Bowl snack choices), many clients I’ve spoken to are back to a familiar refrain:

“I’m just so busy.”

"Things are hectic."

"I don't have time."

For years, I said it too—until I caught myself.

The Moment I Benched “Busy”

Imagine a coach asking a top athlete about their training strategy, and they answer:

"Oh, I don’t really have one. I just run around and stay as busy as possible."

Sounds ridiculous, right? That’s because elite athletes don’t train harder—they train smarter.

Yet, in the corporate world, many of us treat busyness as a badge of honor, filling every available minute with tasks, meetings, and back-to-back Zoom calls—confusing motion with progress.

I fell into this trap myself.

A while back, in the thick of a high-stakes project (and what felt like a world record for back-to-back meetings), I noticed that “busy” had become my default response.

“How’s your week?” Busy.

“Can you jump on a call?” Can’t, I’m too busy.

“When will you get to this?” I’ll try—I’ve just been so busy.

I was practically using busy as punctuation. Not once did I actually explain my priorities, my focus, or even take ownership of my choices. I was defaulting to busy instead of being intentional about where my time and energy went.

I was treating my schedule like a never-ending endurance test, with no clear game plan.

Then, I made a leadership decision: I was cutting “busy” from my vocabulary.

(Okay, fine—it took a little longer than that, but you get the point!).

What’s Behind “I’m Busy”?

If you catch yourself saying “I’m busy,” pause and ask: What’s really behind that?

?? Are you playing defence? (Reacting to everything instead of setting priorities.)

?? Are you spreading yourself too thin? (Trying to be everywhere at once, in every meeting, no delegating, like a midfielder who refuses to pass the ball.)

?? Are you avoiding something? (Using busy as a smokescreen for procrastination or not wanting to have a tough conversation.)

??? Are you overtraining? (Mistaking effort for effectiveness—more hours ≠ better results.)

?? Is it lack of clarity? (Juggling too many things without clear priorities.)

? Is it poor boundaries? (Saying yes to too much, not protecting deep work time.)

And let’s be honest: “busy” is often an excuse for not owning our choices.

And sometimes? “Busy” can become an excuse for a slip in our professionalism—short emails, not returning calls, or skipping a simple “thank you.” But professionalism isn’t something that gets put on pause just because we have a full calendar.

From Busy to Strategic: A Leadership Shift

I was mentoring a high-potential leader who was constantly overwhelmed. Every check-in started the same way:

"I’m just so busy."

Deadlines were slipping, emails were piling up, and she felt like she was in survival mode. (Her calendar looked like a Tetris game set to Expert Mode.)

So I gave her a challenge:

"Remove the word ‘busy’ from your vocabulary for a week."

Instead of saying, “I’m too busy for that,” she had to say:

?? “That’s not a priority right now.”

?? “I need to reallocate my time.”

?? “I’ll say no to this, so I can focus on that.”

By the end of the week, she had more clarity, made better decisions, and—surprise—felt less overwhelmed.

It wasn’t that her workload had disappeared; she had just switched from playing defence to offence.

The Research: What Elite Performers Do Differently

Sports science backs this up—high performers don’t just go harder, they go smarter.

?? NBA Players Who Rest More, Perform Better – A study found that when NBA players got an extra hour of sleep, their shooting accuracy improved by 9% and reaction times were faster. (Stanford University)

?? Athletes Focus on Recovery as Much as Training – Elite sports teams now track heart rate variability and sleep to prevent burnout. The best leaders track their energy the same way—strategic rest leads to peak performance.

?? The Top Executives Guard Their Focus Like an Olympic Athlete – The most successful leaders don’t multitask their way through meetings—they protect deep work time like an athlete protects game day. (McKinsey Research)

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about training like an elite performer—making every effort count.

In the Workplace “Busy” Kills Effectiveness

Research from McKinsey shows that high-performing leaders don’t just manage time—they own it.

?? Leaders who are intentional with their time are 25% more productive than those who react to tasks.

?? Companies where leaders model strong prioritisation see 20% higher employee engagement (Gartner).

?? The most successful executives don’t multitask their way through meetings—they focus on deep work, not constant activity (Cal Newport, Deep Work).

And let’s be honest—busyness is often mistaken for productivity. But being in motion isn’t the same as making an impact.

A Challenge for Leaders: Train Like an Athlete, Not a Busybody

If you find yourself constantly saying “I’m busy,” try this instead:

?? Reframe It – Instead of “I’m too busy,” say what’s actually true: “I’m prioritizing X right now.”

?? Audit Your Time – What’s your version of “junk training”? Where are you spending effort that doesn’t move the needle?

?? Protect Your Peak Performance Time – Block your game time—whether that’s strategic thinking, creative work, or leading your team—don’t let distractions steal it.

?? Model This for Your Team – When you stop glorifying busy, your team will too.

Final Thought: Stop Running, Start Winning

The best athletes don’t just train harder; they train with purpose.

Leaders need to do the same. "Busy" isn't the problem. It’s how we choose to lead our time, energy, and priorities.

So next time you catch yourself saying, “I’m busy,” stop and ask:

Am I just running in circles, or am I actually winning the game?

Drop your thoughts below! How you 'bench busy' for the season ??

#ElevateYourLeadership #BusyIsNotALeadershipStrategy #LeadWithIntention #TimeManagement #OwnYourChoices #LeadershipDevelopment #Productivity #StrategicLeadership #WorkLifeBalance #ProfessionalismMatters