Why CEOs and Founders Work Too Many Hours—and How to Stop Burning Out

Working long hours might feel like the natural price of leadership, but for CEOs and founders, it’s a fast track to burnout. Overworking doesn’t just harm your health; it weakens your decision-making, kills productivity, and prevents you from seeing the bigger picture.

Here’s the hard truth: the problem isn’t the workload—it’s how you manage your time and prioritize your focus. If you’re constantly overwhelmed, here’s a guide to why it happens and how to fix it.

1. You Don’t Have a Yearly Strategic Plan

Without a clear strategic plan, it’s easy to fall into a reactive cycle, constantly putting out fires instead of working toward meaningful goals. A strong plan isn’t optional—it’s your roadmap.

For example, if your long-term goal is to sell your company, the plan should break that down into actionable steps like:

• Building a strong leadership team.
• Improving profitability.
• Minimizing risks.

By translating your vision into specific quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals, you can focus on what truly matters. Without this clarity, it’s easy to lose time on tasks that don’t move the needle.

2. You’re Not Prioritizing Deep Work

It’s common for CEOs to let their day get swallowed by meetings, emails, and constant interruptions. While those things have their place, they shouldn’t define your schedule.

Deep work, the concept popularized by Cal Newport, means dedicating uninterrupted time to high-value, strategic tasks—whether that’s problem-solving, financial planning, or long-term strategy.

The simplest way to get started? Block off the first two hours of your day for your most important goals. During this time, shut off all distractions—no calls, no emails. This habit ensures you focus on the tasks that truly move your business forward.

3. You’re Letting the Week Run You

If you’re starting each week without a plan, chances are you’re spending your time reacting instead of leading. A chaotic schedule results in distractions, missed priorities, and unnecessary stress.

To combat this, carve out time each weekend to plan your upcoming week. Write down the three most important goals you want to achieve and align your daily schedule around those priorities.

When your week is intentionally structured, you’ll find yourself making progress on the big picture rather than feeling stuck in the day-to-day grind.

4. You’re Avoiding 1:1 Meetings

Some leaders avoid 1:1 meetings with direct reports, seeing them as time-consuming or unproductive. But skipping these sessions often leads to more confusion, delays, and bottlenecks.

Instead, structure your 1:1 meetings to be concise and outcome-driven. Spend 40 minutes checking in on progress, addressing roadblocks, and holding your team accountable to specific results or KPIs. When done correctly, these meetings save time by ensuring everyone is aligned and empowered to execute without constant supervision.

5. You Don’t Have a Reliable Time Management System

Many CEOs end up overwhelmed simply because they don’t have a system to manage their time. Without structure, it’s easy to get pulled into tasks that feel urgent but aren’t truly important.

Here’s a practical solution: Dedicate the first part of your day to your Most Important Tasks (MITs)—the work that has the biggest impact on your business. Then, use a system like time blocking or the Pomodoro Technique to manage your remaining schedule effectively.

The key is consistency. When you have a structured approach, you’ll make more progress in less time.

6. Your Leadership Team Isn’t Fully Developed

If you’re constantly buried in operational details, chances are you’re not delegating effectively. Without a strong leadership team, you’ll spend your time micromanaging instead of focusing on strategy and growth.

The solution? Define clear roles, set expectations, and give your team the autonomy they need to execute. A capable leadership team not only reduces your workload but also strengthens the entire business.

In my early days, I assumed my team could read my mind—they couldn’t. Once I clarified the vision and delegated responsibilities, the business operated more smoothly, and I had more time to focus on big-picture goals.

Reclaim Your Time and Lead Smarter

Burnout doesn’t have to be part of the job. With a few deliberate changes, you can reclaim your time and work more effectively:

• Create a yearly strategic plan with clear quarterly and weekly goals.
• Dedicate your mornings to deep, focused work on high-impact tasks.
• Plan your week in advance with your top three goals in mind.
• Run structured 1:1 meetings to build accountability and alignment.
• Build and empower a leadership team to share the load.

Long hours don’t guarantee success, but working smarter does. By taking control of your time, you’ll not only be more productive but also a better leader for your team and your business.

Are you ready to stop spinning your wheels and focus on growth? Let’s connect and map out a smarter path forward.

If you’re ready to take your product strategy to the next level, let’s talk about how a coaching session can help you develop a winning roadmap, one product at a time.

Check out my website here: www.apexceo.co

I'd like to hear from you.... Have you ever heard of CEO Burnout? If so, what do you love most about it? If not, what was your biggest takeaway in learning about it?

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