Doing Less Made Me a Better Leader
A few years ago, I would’ve laughed if someone told me that doing less would make me a better leader.
I used to equate leadership with effort. If I wasn’t busy, I wasn’t contributing. If I wasn’t juggling five things at once, I wasn’t doing enough.
But there’s a difference between being productive and being effective.
The Illusion of Efficiency
Like most entrepreneurs, I got really good at working fast. I could knock out a to-do list, solve a client issue, and pivot the team in record time. But when I finally slowed down enough to look at what I was actually doing, I realized most of it wasn’t leadership - it was maintenance.
I was spending time managing instead of thinking.
Reacting instead of anticipating.
Solving problems instead of preventing them.
It’s easy to mistake momentum for progress. I was moving constantly - but not always moving the business forward.
So I made a shift. I started doing less.
Creating Space for Leadership
When I decided to protect space in my week for reflection, strategy, and even rest, it felt uncomfortable at first. Really uncomfortable. My calendar looked… empty. And that triggered guilt - shouldn’t a CEO be booked solid?
But the space wasn’t emptiness. It was margin.
That margin became where the real leadership work happened:
Walking every morning helped me think through decisions before reacting to them.
Baking with my boys reminded me that creativity fuels problem-solving.
Writing reconnected me to vision and storytelling - both essential to leading well.
And stepping back let my team step up.
The best ideas I’ve had for Alpine didn’t come from being over-scheduled. They came when my brain finally had room to think.
Systems That Make It Possible
Doing less doesn’t mean caring less. It means designing your business so you can focus on the work that only you can do.
That’s why we built systems at Alpine that support intentional leadership. Clear SOPs, transparent communication, and the right people in the right seats make space for creativity and vision.
Our virtual assistants play a huge part in that. They help business owners get out of the weeds - not just to save time, but to lead better.
Because when you’re not constantly responding to emails, booking meetings, or chasing details, you can finally do the work that grows your business.
The Productivity Trap
We’ve all heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder,” but most leaders don’t live it. We build complex systems, chase new tools, and pride ourselves on how much we can handle - but that mindset keeps us trapped in execution mode.
When you’re doing everything, you don’t have time to ask why you’re doing it.
It’s why so many founders burn out - not because they’re incapable, but because they never give themselves permission to slow down long enough to think differently.
Doing Less ≠ Doing Nothing
Doing less isn’t passive. It’s purposeful.
It’s:
Saying no to meetings that don’t require your input.
Delegating routine tasks so you can focus on strategy.
Building leaders, not dependencies.
Protecting your time like it’s your company’s most valuable asset - because it is.
When I finally stopped trying to prove my value through constant action, my leadership got sharper. My team grew stronger. And our clients got better service because everyone was operating from clarity, not chaos. Doing less created space for what actually mattered.
The Bottom Line
Most leaders think success means adding more - more clients, more hours, more output. But real success comes from subtraction. From focusing on fewer things, done better. From building people and systems that let you breathe.
Doing less made me a better leader because it reminded me what leadership actually is: seeing clearly, thinking deeply, and empowering others to do their best work.
So if your plate feels too full, it’s not a failure. It’s a sign it’s time to lead differently.
