Time is one of every leader’s most limited but also valuable resources. Yet, it’s also one of the most mismanaged. Ineffective productivity and poor time management don’t just hurt individual performance; they quickly spread, negatively influencing the overall leadership impact, team dynamics, organizational efficiency, and ultimately, the bottom line. It’s all too easy to think of poor time management as a personal struggle, but when you lead others, it then becomes a much bigger issue. How you manage your time directly impacts how your team performs—and how they perceive you.
Research continues to show how time management—or the lack of it—impacts workplace effectiveness. For example, a Korn Ferry survey found that 67% of professionals believe spending too much time in meetings and calls prevents them from making a meaningful impact at work, highlighting the broader challenges of poor time management in organizational effectiveness. And according to Gallup, employees with unorganized, overwhelmed managers are 59% more likely to feel disengaged at work.
Effective leadership isn’t just about making the right strategic decisions; it’s about balancing your calendar, prioritizing wisely, and respecting your team’s time. Neglecting these responsibilities can cascade into dysfunction.
Let’s take a closer look at how struggling with time management can erode leadership impact—and share actionable steps to turn it around.
Problem 1: Overloading Your Team
When you fail to manage your own time effectively, those inefficiencies don’t vanish—they simply redistribute, often falling on the shoulders of your team. Failing to meet proper deadlines or having below-average project management skills results in last-minute scrambling and unnecessary overtime for employees. This cycle eventually leads to burnout, resentment, and high turnover.
I still see this happening all the time, no matter the industry or organization. People managers with the best intentions end up overwhelming their teams because they fail to prioritize or set clear expectations. The result is often the same—a culture of late nights, last-minute scrambling, and growing frustration. High performers, who feel undervalued and burned out, eventually decide to leave. It’s extremely frustrating to watch because this kind of self-inflicted stress and dysfunction is completely avoidable with the right leadership and time management habits in place.
Solution
A good place for leaders to start is by practicing realistic delegation. While multiplying your forces requires delegation, “dump-and-run” leadership—offloading work mindlessly—simply won’t cut it. Be transparent about priorities and deadlines so that the workload remains sustainable for all parties involved. Using tools like weekly planning check-ins and project management software will enable better assignment and tracking of responsibilities without burdening team members.
Problem 2: Loss of Credibility
The mismanagement of time doesn’t always produce visible strain, but it can slowly diminish trust and credibility over time. When leaders frequently show up late for meetings, miss deadlines, or fail to follow through on previous commitments, people notice. These patterns send an unspoken message about your reliability—or lack thereof.
Research from Gallup shows that managers are responsible for nearly 70% of employee engagement scores across teams, pinpointing just how much leadership impacts the day-to-day experience of employees. Poor time and productivity habits leave team members questioning whether they can depend on you, undermining collaboration and respect.
Solution
Take ownership of your calendar. Block time for critical priorities and honor those commitments the same way you would respect and follow through on a client agreement. Try categorizing tasks as urgent and important, important but not urgent, and so on using practical tools such as the Eisenhower Matrix. These techniques ensure that you meet your obligations while also establishing a reputation for dependability.
Problem 3: Decision Paralysis and Reactive Leadership
Without sound time management, leaders often find themselves in survival and firefighting mode, reacting to immediate crises rather than strategizing for the long term. This “reaction-first” leadership style creates frustration for teams craving direction and clarity. When you’re consistently focused on putting out fires, you’re making hasty decisions and often overlooking the most significant.
I once worked with a nonprofit CEO who found himself buried in operational fires. His days were constantly consumed by urgent but low-impact tasks, leaving little room for what truly mattered—building donor relationships and driving strategic growth. Gradually, the gaps started to emerge. Donors felt neglected, employees grew frustrated by the absence of a clear vision, and competitors started to capitalize on opportunities the nonprofit had overlooked. It was a stark reminder that when leaders lose control of their time, the ripple effects can undermine even the most mission-driven organizations and their leadership impact.
Solution
Switch from reactive to intentional leadership. Allocate intentional blocks on your calendar for strategic planning, and practice saying “no” to the tasks that don’t advance your biggest priorities. Back to the nonprofit CEO, one of the biggest turning points came when he began setting clear objectives and communicating them—for himself and his team. By engaging in strategic planning habits like daily reflection and quarterly goal reviews, he not only regained control of his time but also brought his team into the process. This alignment revitalized donor relationships, clarified the organization’s vision, and uncovered opportunities for strategic growth that had previously been overlooked.
Problem 4: Neglecting Employee Growth
Inefficient time management also affects your ability to invest in your team’s development. What happens to that one-on-one coaching conversation if your calendar is filled with back-to-back meetings or tasks? What about the feedback session? Is there even a chance to recognize and acknowledge a team member’s diligent efforts?
Leaders who neglect these moments unintentionally deprive their team of growth opportunities. A striking 77% of employees now prioritize manager support more than ever, signaling a powerful shift in workplace dynamics—leaders and people managers must evolve from simply overseeing tasks to becoming indispensable allies in their team’s success. This shift is a critical component of leadership impact in today’s workplace.
Solution
Schedule team development as an essential activity. Block specific time each week or month for direct engagement with team members—whether project reviews, a coaching session, or career path discussion. Leaders who deliberately invest in their people not only increase engagement but also lay the foundation for sustainable and long-term performance.
Building Leadership Impact through Time Mastery
Poor time management isn’t a personal flaw—it’s an evolving leadership hurdle. Your choices around time prioritize what your team experiences daily. By becoming deliberate with how you spend your days, you can model efficiency, build trust, and create an environment where employees thrive.
How will you take back control of your time today? Effective time management leads to improved decision-making, healthier and strengthened teams, and a leadership impact that is worthy of emulation.