It didn’t take me long to see what was going on. In fact, it was obvious after the first few meetings. Steve was the problem.
The busy badge mentality: A CEO's worst enemy
I couldn’t get Steve to focus. We would meet with him to give him updates on the work that needed his leadership team’s attention, and he would spend much of the meeting reading emails on his tablet.
This lack of focus permeated his organization. No one was focused and it was costing the organization millions. The leadership team’s desire to be everywhere at once led to a cascading series of meetings, each triggering another, and ultimately contributing to a slowdown in organizational processes.
There was no organized method for getting the leadership team’s attention when there were issues, and sometimes it would take weeks to get on the executives’ calendars when a decision needed to be made. The leaders didn’t realize that because nothing had their focus for long, they were the ones slowing projects down by taking so long to make decisions.
Even though some staff knew this was a problem, they had a hard time telling the boss, “You’re the problem.”
This isn’t just Steve’s problem. It’s the classic "busy badge" most leaders wear proudly, thinking that being busy equals being productive. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
How being “busy” hurts your business
Ever ask someone how they are doing, and they immediately start telling you how “busy” they are? You might even have said the word “busy” when describing how you’re doing. You might feel busy every day. We wear the busy badge of honor all the time. But the problem is that being busy is a sign of chaos, not success.
Here’s what happens when you wear the “busy badge”:
Overcommitting and multitasking. You say yes to everything, trying to handle all tasks at once. Sounds like you’re getting more done, right? Wrong. You end up splitting your focus and doing multiple things poorly instead of a few things well. Multitasking is just another way of saying, “I’m distracted.”
Lack of prioritization. When you’re running around putting out fires, you lose sight of what’s truly important. You might spend hours on tasks that don’t move the needle for your business, while the critical issues fall by the wayside.
Failure to delegate. Here’s where Steve went wrong. He felt like he had to be involved in every single decision. As a result, nothing moved without his input, and his team was stuck in a waiting game. Delegation isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s how you grow and scale your business.
Reactive, not proactive. Being busy often means you're reacting to everything around you—emails, meetings, phone calls—without taking the time to plan. You end up in a constant state of firefighting, never making real progress on your long-term goals.
No time for reflection. When you're always busy, you don't have time to step back, evaluate, and improve. This keeps you stuck in the same unproductive patterns, day after day.
Increased stress, decreased well-being. Let’s be real—being “busy” all the time isn't sustainable. It wears you down, stresses you out, and ultimately impacts your ability to lead. If you’re constantly overwhelmed, how can you expect your team to perform well
Steve’s problem: Trying to do it all, doing none of it well
Steve thought being involved in everything made him a better leader. In reality, he was micromanaging and getting in his own way. He was involving himself in every decision but then not staying focused long enough to make those decisions.
Here’s the truth: when you're trying to do everything, you’re not doing anything well.
Multitasking is a myth. What you’re doing is task switching and that is akin to rebooting your computer every time you switch from one application to another. Your brain needs time to switch gears and that task switching can cost the organization up to 40% loss in productivity according to the American Psychological Association.
Instead of focusing on the big decisions that would move his company forward, Steve was bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae. His team was constantly waiting on him, slowing down projects, and losing valuable time.
The worst part? Steve didn’t even realize he was the bottleneck.
The fix: Focus and delegate
Here’s what I told Steve—and it’s what every small business executive needs to hear: If you want to grow your business, you need to focus. And you need to let go.
Delegate decisions
Steve could have easily delegated many of the decisions he was holding up. If you don’t give your team the responsibility to make decisions, you’ll never grow your business.
Yes, they’ll make mistakes. But that’s part of the process. The more responsibility you share, the faster your team will learn and the faster your business will move.
Prioritize your time
Instead of trying to do it all, Steve needed to focus on what really mattered. I told him to pick his top three priorities—things that would actually move his business forward—and focus on those. Everything else could wait. When you have too many “number one priorities,” nothing gets done well.
Pick three. Tackle those with your full attention. The rest? It can wait.
Stop chasing the small stuff
Steve had to get comfortable letting go of the small tasks that were eating up his time. Not everything needs your attention. Learn to differentiate between urgent and important. Delegate the urgent stuff and focus on what’s truly important.
The outcome: Increased productivity and faster decisions
Once Steve started focusing and delegating, things changed. His team started making decisions without waiting for him. Projects that were stuck in limbo started moving again. The entire company became more productive because Steve wasn’t micromanaging every detail.
Most importantly, Steve realized that wearing the “busy badge” wasn’t helping him or his business. He learned that being busy is just being distracted. Focused leaders—successful leaders—aren’t busy. They’re productive.
Dump the busy badge and focus on what matters
If you find yourself constantly busy but not making progress, it’s time to stop. Take a hard look at where your time is going. Are you overcommitting? Are you saying yes to every task instead of focusing on what matters most?
You don’t have to be everywhere or do everything. In fact, trying to do it all is what’s keeping you from moving forward. Delegate, prioritize, and let go of the small stuff.
Remember: busy doesn’t equal productive. If you want to lead your team to success, you need to focus on what really matters. And that starts with you.
FAQs on how to be productive versus being "busy"
What’s the difference between being productive and busy?
Busy is constant motion—rushing from one task to the next, managing emails, meetings, and putting out fires. But here's the catch: it doesn’t mean you're getting anywhere. Productivity, on the other hand, is about making progress. It’s when you focus your energy on the tasks that really matter—the ones that move the business forward.
What does it mean to be productive?
Being productive is all about prioritizing. It means getting crystal clear on what truly matters, focusing on the big decisions, and not getting sidetracked by small tasks just because they’re easy to check off. You don’t need to do everything, but the things you do focus on should be done well and with purpose—because those are the ones that will move the needle.
Why is it bad to be busy?
Busy is a trap. It keeps you reacting to everything, bouncing from one thing to the next, but never really making progress. It drains your energy and time, leaving you feeling like you've accomplished something, but with little to show for it. It’s like running on a hamster wheel when you’re trying to get somewhere. Being constantly busy distracts you from focusing on what actually drives your business forward.
About the Author
Post by: Laura Barnard
Laura Barnard is the author of The IMPACT Engine: Accelerating Strategy Delivery for PMO and Transformation Leaders. With three decades of experience, Laura has been leading efforts to help organizations achieve higher returns on investment for their strategic goals. Her company’s IMPACT Engine System empowers organizations to drive transformational outcomes aligned with their vision, delivering unprecedented speed and measurable business IMPACT. Through targeted training, consulting, and coaching, her company PMO Strategies provides actionable solutions that ensure immediate application, enabling clients to achieve fast, measurable improvements in their business performance.