More Is Less
We often believe the answer to better performance is more—more meetings, more tools, more initiatives, more hustle. But in truth, what we and our team memebers most urgently need isn’t another thing. It’s actually no thing at all—intentional emptiness: the absence of clutter, distraction, and overcommitment.
In today’s hyper-connected work culture, productivity is too often mistaken for motion. Resources are overallocated. Calendars are jammed. Communication channels ping nonstop. And somewhere between the tenth meeting and the hundredth email, we lose the very thing that fuels performance and innovation: space.
Space to think.
Space to focus.
Space to breathe.
Without that space, we trade clarity for chaos, creativity for compliance, and strategy for stress. What we need is less—but better….and the discipline to protect the quiet that allows great performance to emerge.
As leaders, our job isn’t to fill every moment—it’s to preserve the margin that lets our teams focus, flourish, and finish what matters. Here’s how.
1. Start with Strategy—And Stick to It
Every organization claims to have a strategy. The real test is whether it can say no. Leaders must root their teams in a clear, coherent direction—and resist the drift toward shiny objects and short-term distractions. If a request doesn’t align with the strategy, it’s not a priority. Period.
2. Treat Focus Like a Resource
Focus isn’t just a mental state—it’s a business asset. When teams are constantly task-switching, they hemorrhage time and quality. Create systems that prioritize depth over breadth. Fewer goals, fewer metrics, fewer initiatives provide people the opportunity to go deep.
3. Push Back with Purpose
When upper management or boards request new initiatives midstream, leaders must have the courage to ask hard questions: Does this fit our strategy? What trade-offs will this require? By pushing back with clarity and data—not defiance—leaders protect team capacity and execution quality.
4. Be Mindful of Your Own Demands
Every request from a leader sends a signal. When we casually drop “quick asks” or float new ideas without vetting their importance, we fragment our team’s energy. Before assigning work, pause. Ask: Does this need to happen now? Is this the right person to own it? Can this wait?
5. Declutter the Work Week
Look for systemic sources of overload—excessive meetings, unclear handoffs, redundant reports—and cut them. Just because we’ve always done it doesn’t mean we should keep doing it. Leaders who streamline workflows create the breathing room to execute and the clarity to think.
6. Protect Time to Think
The busier we are does not make us more innovative. It usually has the opposite effect. Innovation results from having mental room to see patterns, question assumptions, and imagine new approaches. Encourage—and model—regular time blocks for strategic thinking. Normalize “thinking time” as a valid and valuable use of hours.
7. Reframe Space as a Leadership Tool
Too often, space is seen as a luxury. In reality, it’s a lever and invaluable tool. When leaders actively guard the time and focus their teams need—whether that’s deep work time, buffer weeks, or strategic retreats—they enable better outcomes. Less noise. More results.
Lead by Giving Space
Optimum performance is a balance of pushing forward, pulling back, and doing absolutely nothing when nothing is the exact thing that needs to done. The best leaders don’t fill every moment or seize every opportunity. They curate. They prune. They protect. They know that what’s most needed isn’t always another task or tool—it’s the absence of interference. It’s empty space. It’s no-thing.
In the stillness, we see more clearly.
In the margin, we build what matters.
Let’s make room for the work that truly counts.
Instead of worrying whether our teams have enough to do, we should ask whether they have enough space to do what truly matters.
If this resonates with you, let’s connect. At Trubelo Development, I work with leaders and organizations to create clarity, align strategy, and build the space teams need to deliver transformational results. Whether you’re navigating change, refining priorities, or rethinking how your team works, I’d love to explore how we can turn your goals into real outcomes. Whether you’re just starting or looking to do more with less or have other transformation needs, Trubelo can help you
What’s one thing you could stop doing today to give your team more space to excel?