Aaron Edgell is CMO at Alliant University, leading brand strategy, enrollment growth & digital marketing to amplify the university’s impact.
Most leaders don’t run out of hours in the day. They run out of energy.
That distinction matters. Time management, long considered the cornerstone of productivity, assumes every hour is equal. Yet research and experience show the opposite. A strategy session at 9 a.m. sparks more clarity than the same discussion at 4 p.m. after a string of meetings. One energized hour can create more impact than three unfocused ones.
This is why more executives are rethinking the old model. Time is fixed. Energy is renewable. And it’s energy, not hours, that drives clarity, creativity and long-term success.
Why Time Management Alone Falls Short
The logic of time management is straightforward: Plan carefully, block distractions and fit more into the calendar. These techniques are still useful, but they ignore one truth: Hours may look identical on paper, but the quality of those hours varies.
The Harvard Business Review highlighted this in a 2007 study with Wachovia Bank. Employees who learned energy-management techniques such as scheduling important work during peak hours and taking deliberate recovery breaks outperformed control groups in both productivity and engagement. Everyone had the same number of hours, but the energy-managed group achieved more.
As a recent McKinsey article comparing CEOs to athletes notes: “Time management is not just about scheduling; it’s also about recognizing that some moments are simply more important than others.” In other words, measuring only hours worked is like judging a car by the size of its fuel tank rather than the efficiency of its engine.
If time management helps leaders organize their schedules, energy management helps them maximize what they bring to those schedules.
The Four Dimensions Of Energy
Energy isn’t one resource. It shows up in four key forms leaders draw on every day:
• Physical Energy: Stamina, sleep, nutrition and movement.
• Mental Energy: Focus, problem-solving and clarity.
• Emotional Energy: Resilience, patience and presence with others.
• Creative Energy: Imagination, vision and the ability to see new possibilities.
When any of these runs low, leadership suffers because energized employees aren’t just more productive; they’re more creative and have a positive influence on those around them. The opposite is true as well: “De-energizers” can pull entire teams down.
The Executive Playbook For Energy Management
Knowing that energy drives performance is one thing. Putting it into practice requires a new playbook:
1. Audit your energy. For two weeks, note when you feel sharp, when you slump and when you get a second wind. Everyone has different rhythms. Find yours.
2. Protect your power hours. The Wall Street Journal calls these “power hours,” the windows when focus and creativity peak. Guard them. Use them for strategic work, not routine check-ins.
3. Match energy to task. Do high-value work when your energy is high. Save email, admin tasks and routine follow-ups for lower-energy periods.
4. Build recovery in. Breaks aren’t wasted time. They’re fuel. Research on top performers shows a clear pattern: About 52 minutes of focused work followed by a 17-minute break leads to higher productivity than working without pause. A broader meta-analysis also found that micro-breaks boost energy and reduce fatigue, even if the performance impact is modest. Taken together, the evidence makes it clear: Recovery time is a performance tool, not a luxury.
5. Lead by example. When leaders take breaks, shift meetings to protect their focus or openly prioritize recovery, they send a signal that sustainable performance matters more than a crowded calendar. TechRadar recently noted that many organizations are moving from measuring presence to measuring purpose, and it often starts with leaders modeling the behavior.
This shift isn’t just personal. It’s cultural, and it’s changing how organizations think about productivity.
Why Energy-Centered Leadership Matters
For most of the 20th century, productivity was measured in hours. The industrial model valued time on the clock and visible activity. In today’s knowledge economy, hours don’t tell the whole story. What matters is the energy people bring to those hours.
More companies are using HR analytics to identify signs of burnout and encourage energy-conscious work rhythms. Leaders who understand this are helping their organizations move from busy calendars to meaningful outcomes. The simplest way to embrace this change is to reframe the daily question every leader asks.
A New Question For Leaders
Instead of asking: “How can I fit more into my schedule?”
Start asking: “When do I have the energy to do my best work?”
That small shift changes the way leaders design their days, their teams and ultimately their organizations. It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things at the right time, with the energy they deserve.
Redefining Productivity
Time will always matter. Deadlines and schedules can’t be ignored. But if leadership today depends on creativity, resilience and clarity, then energy is the resource that matters most.
The hours in a day are fixed. The energy we bring to them is renewable. Leaders who manage energy, not just time, don’t just get more done. They get the right things done.
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