- As a CEO or executive, you’re incredibly busy – but there are VERY effective ways to help you lead more effectively, while growing your business and having more time for yourself.
- Some of the most effective ways to improve your time management as a CEO or executive is to audit your time and say no to things that don’t serve you (which you’ll learn here below).
- On average, CEOs work 58 hours per week – but you can design your own schedule and life.
2-minQUIZ
Free Quiz
What's your ideal Weekly Operating System?
There's nothing wrong with your work ethic — you just haven't found the system that matches how you operate. 2-minute quiz reveals which of 4 archetypes is yours: Power Reset, Leverage Engine, Precision Filter, or Command Center.
- Say “no”
- Audit your calendar
- Skip meetings
- Set the right objectives
- Plan ahead
- Learn to prioritize
- Block time for deep work
- Delegate more effectively
- Use helpful tools
- Create a CEO daily routine
How do you manage your time as a CEO?
Studies show that the average CEO works about 58 hours per week—over 11 hours a day. With that schedule, there’s barely room for sleep, family, or health. It’s no surprise that 85% of CEOs feel they have little control over their time. But here’s the problem: Your role demands high-stakes decisions, clear vision, and effective team management. And that requires dedicated time and focus, something most CEOs want to get better at managing. That’s where time management comes in—creating a system that works for you, letting you focus on what moves the needle for your business rather than the minutiae. As the head coach at Lifehack Method, my schedule is packed with live calls, meetings, and endless tasks.
But my wife and co-founder, Carey, and I developed a system we call the Lifehack Method. This approach helped us cut down from 80-hour weeks to just 20 hours, giving us time for our three daughters, travel, and even hobbies like learning Spanish, all while growing a multi-seven-figure business.
Now, I’m going to share the exact steps I teach my executive clients to help them work less, become more effective, and enjoy a happier life.
Ready for the ultimate CEO time management strategy? Let’s dive in.
10 most effective ways to manage your time as a CEO or executive
Let’s face it—it’s easy to think that time management won’t help because your schedule feels out of control. But no matter how packed your calendar is, there are ways to optimize it. Just look at my client, Mike. After leaving his job as an executive on Wall Street to start his own business, he felt completely overwhelmed. He struggled to focus, stay organized, and make progress. But after joining the Lifehack Tribe, our time management training, and working with me, he quickly learned how to prioritize, gain clarity, and redesign his workflow. Within just three weeks, he was landing million-dollar projects and feeling more in control. And with these CEO time management tips, you can do it, too. Here’s how.
1. Set boundaries (say no)
Believe it or not, boundaries are a vital part of CEO time management. And they're not just for you. …Even though they make it easier to maintain a work-life balance and avoid being one of the 79% of CEOs who work on the weekend. They’re also great for your team. How else will they know what they can – and can’t – expect from you? And I know that some CEOs believe that you have to work yourself to the bone to make a difference. But the reality is that setting boundaries around your schedule and communication policy won’t make you less productive, successful, or competitive. They’ll just make your leadership journey more sustainable.2. Audit your time
Ever feel like your time just disappears? Then I want you to try a time audit. When you audit your time, you track every hour – at the office and home – for two weeks to find out exactly how you spend it.
At the end of the two weeks, you’ll have hard data that shows you:
- How you spend your time
- Which tasks you focus the most on
- What your priorities are
- Which meetings take up too much of your time
- Areas that could be improved
- Opportunities for outsourcing or delegation (which I’ll talk about later)
3. Get rid of unnecessary meetings
I firmly believe that meetings are the ultimate productivity killer. 🔪 In fact, studies have found that nearly 75% of them are entirely ineffective.
That’s why I minimize meetings as much as possible and recommend you do, too.
Sounds impossible, right? Aren’t CEOs and executives inundated with meetings and calls? 🤝
Not if you have the right tools.
Deciding to limit ALL Lifehack Method communication to Asana was the best decision Carey and I ever made.
That approach has allowed us to reduce meetings to:
- One team meeting every other week for our coaching staff
- One team meeting per week for our operations team
- Very few one-to-ones
2-minQUIZ
Free Quiz
What's your ideal Weekly Operating System?
There's nothing wrong with your work ethic — you just haven't found the system that matches how you operate. 2-minute quiz reveals which of 4 archetypes is yours: Power Reset, Leverage Engine, Precision Filter, or Command Center.
4. Set goals
The best CEOs have goals. Why? Because goals help you:- Prioritize
- Stay motivated
- Measure success
- Focus on what matters most
- Perform at your highest level
5. Plan ahead
As an executive coach, I always ask my clients who feel overwhelmed if they plan ahead. And nine times out of ten, the answer is no. And that KILLS me – after all, Carey and I swear by pre-planning our weeks. 📚We even wrote a book about it! Why? Because planning ahead is a key strategy to making the most of your precious time. We designed our Winning the Week Method to be used for everything from project management to communication. 🏆 It’s a great way to gain clarity and plan for anything that could be thrown your way. It’s a simple five-step process.
Step one: Review your last week. What went well? What could be improved?
Step two: Set goals for this week. Whenever possible, break them into smaller actionable tasks.
Step three: Prioritize your tasks (which I'll discuss next).
Step four: Set aside dedicated blocks of time for those priorities.
Step five: Review and adjust as needed.
I’ll teach you the ins and outs of the formula and why it works in this guide.
And hey, sometimes your weeks are all over the place, right?
The truth is, you can still plan for even the most chaotic weeks.
In fact, that’s when it’s more essential than ever.
Carey and I talk about planning unpredictable weeks in this video:
6. Prioritize tasks
CEOs or executives have mile-long to-do lists – and it can be overwhelming trying to determine what to do first. 📋 Remember what I said about leveraging your goals earlier? You can do it with your tasks, too! Out of sheer instinct, most of us gravitate toward getting the smaller, more manageable tasks out of the way first. But all you’re really doing is putting off the bigger, more important ones. So, just as you'd do with your goals, figure out which task has the most leverage and can make everything else easier. It will propel you to new heights. For example, when our client Kathryn learned to prioritize and leverage her tasks, she saved so much time that she was able to start her own consulting business! I’ll tell you how to prioritize tasks in this quick video: But sometimes you need a little extra help – and that’s where task managers like Asana come in. Not only does it help us prioritize and re-prioritize instantly, but it also ensures Carey and I never miss deadlines, keep all our tasks in one place, and remember everything we’ve got going on. Figure out if it’s right for you with this video: We love it so much that we launched an Asana Mastery course to help you make the most of it, too! Check it out here.7. Block time
For a lot of CEOs and executives, multitasking seems like a no-brainer. But when you get right down to it, there’s no point in trying because it won’t work. Multitasking is actually just rapid task-switching, which reduces your productivity by as much as 40%. That’s productivity you can’t afford to lose! Instead, start blocking out dedicated time for each task on your calendar. 📅 It’ll help you avoid chaos, transition more smoothly between tasks, and kick procrastination to the curb. Better yet, batch your tasks! When you do, you’re far more likely to reach a flow state – which boosts productivity by a staggering 500%. But it’s not just for tasks. Don’t be afraid to block time just for focusing or thinking. 💭 Unscheduled time will allow you to tackle complex problems, handle unplanned interruptions, develop new ideas, and get clarity without pressure. To get started, try our Sticky Focus Game. I’ll tell you to play in this video:8. Delegate effectively
Don’t be afraid to hand some of your responsibilities off. 👐 Doing so is an absolute game-changer for CEO time management. In fact, research has found that CEOs who delegate well see a 33% higher growth rate and generate 33% more revenue than those who don’t.
Still trying to decide what to delegate?
Here’s the key: unless you’re the only one in the company who can do it, you can delegate it.
Seriously – focus on what really needs your expertise and get rid of the rest!
Just do it wisely and delegate tasks to the people with the right skills and expertise to handle them.
Sometimes, delegation feels like more work.
Either you chose the wrong person, or your instructions weren’t clear. Hint: It’s probably the latter.
So be as transparent as humanly possible in your instructions and expectations.
It doesn’t matter if you’re working with a virtual assistant or team member.
ALWAYS take the time to walk them through each task, start to finish, and promote transparency in your strategy.
Carey will show you how to delegate effectively in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwtUbF7K4xQ
Pro tip: you can outsource personal tasks like home management and laundry, too!
Want to learn to delegate like a pro? Then check out our Outsourcing Mastery course.
9. Use tech tools
You’ll be AMAZED at how much time you can save if you have the right kind of technology. 💻
Here are some tools to add to your tech stack:
- Digital calendars are one of the best ways to keep your schedule organized.
- Asana will help you manage entire projects with visual boards, comments, and more.
- Cloud storage systems like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud make it possible to access all of your documents from anywhere at any time, on any device.
- Video conferencing tools, like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, simplify meetings and communication.
10. Have a daily routine
And, finally, the most important of any CEO time management tips I could offer. Create AND STICK TO a daily routine. A daily routine will help you lead with more clarity and effectiveness. It will also help you:- Sleep better 💤
- Manage your stress more effectively ✌️
- Improve your mental health 🧠
- Eat healthier and stay active 🏃
- Jack Dorsey meditated for an hour and walked five miles to work each day while he was CEO of Twitter.
- Warren Buffet eats breakfast at the same McDonald’s each morning, plays bridge after work, and goes to bed at 10:45 each night.
Use this CEO time management template!
Ready to get started on your CEO time management journey? Here’s a template to help you out:| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 7-8 a.m. | Morning routine | Morning routine | Morning routine | Morning Routine | Morning routine |
| 8-9 a.m. | Deep work | Deep work | Deep work | Deep work | Deep work |
| 9-10 a.m. | Strategic planning | Team meetings | Strategic planning | Team meetings | Strategic planning |
| 10-11 a.m. | Team meetings | Client calls | Team meetings | Client calls | Team meetings |
| 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Emails and admin | Emails and admin | Emails and admin | Emails and admin | Emails and admin |
| 12-1 p.m. | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| 1-2 p.m. | Project work | Project work | Project work | Project work | Project work |
| 2-3 p.m. | Client calls | Deep work | Client calls | Deep work | Client calls |
| 3-4 p.m. | Deep work | Strategic planning | Deep work | Strategic planning | Deep work |
| 4-5 p.m. | Networking | Networking | Networking | Networking | Networking |
| 5-6 p.m. | Emails and wrap-up | Emails and wrap-up | Emails and wrap-up | Emails and wrap-up | Emails and wrap-up |
FAQ: Executive and CEO time management
How many hours do CEOs work in a day?
On average, CEOs work about 58 hours a week, or roughly 11 hours a day. Some, like Elon Musk, clock in over 120 hours a week (17 hours a day), while others manage to work less than 40. It varies widely, but effective time management can help any CEO maximize their impact, no matter the hours.Why is time management important for CEOs?
Time management is essential for CEOs to make the most of their day, lead more effectively, and reduce stress. Top-performing CEOs know how to make every minute count, using time management to sharpen their leadership and drive results.What should CEOs focus their time on?
CEOs should focus on high-impact tasks that drive the organization forward. These include strategic planning, setting a clear vision, building and empowering a strong team, fostering innovation, and managing risk.What’s next?
There you have it—a step-by-step guide to CEO time management. Mastering your time means you can finally balance your professional success with a fulfilling personal life. Imagine saving just 10 hours a week…Those are hours you can use on clearing your weekends, being present for all family milestones, and taking care of yourself, your sleep, and overall health. But let’s be real: learning about time management is one thing. Putting it into action is another. You’re busy—you don’t have hours to spend trying to piece it all together on your own. That’s where support becomes invaluable. Our Lifehack Tribe program is designed to make time management simple and actionable. It’s a proven system that’s helped us generate $8 million in sales, write a WSJ and USA Today bestselling book, and coach thousands of clients worldwide. And we’ve done it while working just 15-25 hours a week, taking vacations, and spending time with our three daughters. If you’re ready to learn our full Lifehack Method, we’d love to have you join us. Start with a weeklong trial of Lifehack Tribe and take control of your time once and for all. Ready to get started? Join Lifehack Tribe today.
2-minQUIZ
Free Quiz
What's your ideal Weekly Operating System?
There's nothing wrong with your work ethic — you just haven't found the system that matches how you operate. 2-minute quiz reveals which of 4 archetypes is yours: Power Reset, Leverage Engine, Precision Filter, or Command Center.
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