The Activity Trap

In this episode of the Deliberate Leaders podcast, host Allison Dunn addresses the Activity Trap, a common issue even for dedicated leaders, where individuals are constantly busy but make minimal progress on what truly matters. The episode begins by describing the feeling of a day filled with work, emails, and meetings, yet ending with a sense of a lack of real accomplishment. Dunn clarifies that this isn't laziness but being caught in the Activity Trap. The Activity Trap is defined as a deceptive state of constant motion that doesn't lead to significant progress on important goals, likened to running on a treadmill. Leaders caught in this trap often find themselves buried in endless meetings without clear agendas, email rabbit holes, and quick-win tasks that don't build real value. Despite feeling accomplished momentarily, they experience frustration and a sense of being no closer to their desired outcomes, highlighting that motion isn't momentum. To illustrate this, Dunn shares the story of her client Sarah, a COO working long hours and feeling overwhelmed despite completing a lengthy to-do list. However, when asked which of those tasks moved the company towards its three-year vision, only two out of thirty were identified, demonstrating the essence of the Activity Trap: working hard without aligning energy with impact. Dunn then introduces three key distinctions to help escape the Activity Trap: •. Busy work vs. Breakthrough work: Busy work fills time and is reactive, responding to others' priorities, while breakthrough work creates change and is proactive, advancing one's vision. The focus should shift from "What's urgent?" to "What will create the most significant impact today?". •  Management vs. Leadership: Management handles the present, while leadership creates the future. Many get stuck in management mode by addressing immediate needs, but leadership requires strategic thinking and future-building activities. •  Activity vs. Achievement: Activity is measured by effort (hours worked, emails answered), whereas achievement is measured by outcomes (progress toward goals and value created). The goal is to move from high activity with low achievement to low activity with high achievement, which is the hallmark of deliberate leadership. To break free from the Activity Trap, Dunn offers three actionable strategies: •  Institute the Power Hour: Block the first hour of the day for the most important breakthrough work, before checking emails or Slack. This dedicated time allows leaders to work on their business rather than just in it, focusing on tasks that drive important goals forward without distractions. •  Apply the 3-Category Filter: At the start of each week, categorize the to-do list into breakthrough work, management work, and busy work. The recommendation is to commit to spending at least 40% on breakthrough work, no more than 40% on management work, and reduce busy work to 20% or less. •  Implement the "One Less" Rule: For one month, consciously eliminate one low-value activity each day, such as declining a non-essential meeting, batching emails, or delegating tasks. Small reductions in low-value activities can create significant space for more impactful work. Finally, the episode includes a call to action to conduct an "Activity Trap Audit". For three consecutive workdays, individuals are encouraged to track their time in 30-minute increments and, at the end of each day, reflect on the percentage of time spent on breakthrough work, their highest-value contribution, and low-value activities that could be eliminated, automated, or delegated. The aim is to identify patterns, with most leaders discovering they spend less than 20% of their time on true breakthrough work. In closing, Dunn reiterates that being busy doesn't equate to being an exceptional leader; rather, it's the ability to focus on work that generates genuine momentum that distinguishes average from exceptional leaders. The key takeaway is that true leadership is about being deliberate, not just busy. About the Host: Allison Dunn •  Host of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast •  Business Coach •  Founder of Deliberate Directions Connect: •  Website: Deliberate Directions •  Podcast: Deliberate Leaders Podcast Reminder: Subscribe and leave a review to support the podcast!