The Stoic Edge for Managers
Incorporating Stoic philosophies in 21st century business
The Stoic Edge for Managers
The Stoic Edge for Managers - Episode 7 - Time Management
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Here, we examine how the stoics would have viewed time management, and how it applies now in our day, for the modern manager
Thank you for listening. The Stoic Edge is available for all managers and others who feel it would be beneficial to them. Find out more about the company that produces them at www.mymanagementcoach.org
Welcome back everyone to Stoicism for today's manager. In this episode, we're tackling a challenge that I think every single manager, every single professional, frankly, every single person listening has faced. That overwhelming feeling that there just aren't enough hours in the day. Jennifer, tell me I'm not alone here.
SPEAKER_00Oh John, you are absolutely not alone. It's the universal manager's mantra, isn't it? I need more time. Or worse, everything needed to be done yesterday. It's like we're constantly juggling chainsaws in a tornado. And the worst part is, the important stuff, the really strategic work, it just keeps getting pushed to the side for the urgent stuff.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. And that's where we want to bring in a powerful ancient philosophy, Stoicism. Because while it might seem counterintuitive to look back thousands of years for modern business solutions, the Stoics had some profound insights into managing not just our tasks but our perception of time and our reactions to its pressures.
SPEAKER_00I'm intrigued. When I think Stoicism, I often think emotionless, which isn't exactly what I need when my inbox is overflowing and three different teams are pinging me simultaneously. How does it help me with actual time management?
SPEAKER_01That's a common misconception, Jennifer. Stoicism isn't about suppressing emotions, it's about understanding what's within our control and what isn't, and directing our energy accordingly. And that, right there, is the key to mastering time. We often react to urgency, letting it dictate our day. But the Stoics would urge us to pause.
SPEAKER_00Pause? When a client is calling every five minutes about a critical issue? That's easier said than done, John.
SPEAKER_01True, but it's a mental pause. It's about recognizing the difference between urgency, importance, and a third, often overlooked component, significance. Urgency, as you know, is about immediate deadlines, external pressures. Importance aligns with your goals, your company's mission. But significance, that's where the stoic wisdom really kicks in.
SPEAKER_00Okay, significance, I'm listening. How is that different from importance?
SPEAKER_01Significance from a stoic perspective is about the impact of a task on your character, your long-term well-being, and your core values. It's asking, does this task contribute to me becoming a better leader, a more patient person, a more diligent professional? It's a much deeper question than just, is this critical for the quarter?
SPEAKER_00So if I have an urgent client request that's important for revenue, but also a team member asks for five minutes to discuss a personal development goal. The client request is urgent and important. The team member request may be not urgent or even important for the bottom line immediately, but it could be significant for my leadership and their growth.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. And often we let urgency completely overshadow both importance and significance. A stoic would say, is my reaction to this urgent email serving my best self? Or am I allowing external chaos to erode my inner peace and my ability to make rational decisions? This is the dichotomy of control in action. You can't control the urgent email, but you can control your response to it.
SPEAKER_00That's a powerful reframe. So it's not just about prioritizing tasks, but prioritizing my mindset while approaching them. Because I've definitely had those days where I'm just running from one fire to the next, feeling completely reactive, and at the end of it, I'm exhausted and I haven't done anything truly meaningful.
SPEAKER_01Precisely. The Stoics would emphasize premeditatio malorum, the premeditation of evils or anticipating challenges. For a manager, this means not just reacting to deadlines, but proactively thinking, what could go wrong here? What will inevitably demand my urgent attention in the next week? And then, instead of dreading it, you prepare for it.
SPEAKER_00So instead of being surprised by the inevitable crisis, I'm already mentally accounting for it. That sounds like a huge stress reducer right there. It gives you a sense of agency even when things are spinning out of control.
SPEAKER_01It absolutely does. And this ties into another core stoic idea. Memento mori, remember you will die. Now that sounds a bit morbid for a business podcast, I know, but hear me out. It's not about dwelling on death. It's a reminder of the finite nature of time. If you only have X amount of time on this earth, are you truly spending it on what is significant to you, to your values, to your growth as a person and a leader? Or are you letting every fleeting urgent demand pull you off course?
SPEAKER_00Okay, that's a gut punch in the best possible way. It really puts things into perspective. It means that even in the busiest day, I should carve out time for things that align with my significance. Whether that's mentoring someone, learning a new skill, or even just taking a few minutes to reflect on how I'm handling pressure.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Seneca, one of the great Stoic philosophers, talked about not letting life's fleeting moments be consumed by trivialities. He said, it is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. And in the context of a modern manager, wasting it often means allowing the merely urgent to suffocate the truly significant.
SPEAKER_00So, how can managers practically apply this distinction between urgency, importance, and significance when everything feels like a level one emergency?
SPEAKER_01A few ways. First, take that mental pause. When a new urgent task lands, don't immediately dive in. Ask yourself, is this truly urgent or just presented as such? Is it important for my long-term goals? And most crucially, what is the significant impact of this task or my response to it? Does it foster my virtues, courage, justice, temperance, wisdom, or does it just make me a reactive robot?
SPEAKER_00I love that reactive robot. I've been there. So it's about adding a layer of ethical and personal scrutiny to the prioritization process. Not just what needs to get done, but what kind of person do I want to be while doing it, and what does this task actually mean to my overall purpose?
SPEAKER_01Precisely. Another practical tip. Schedule significance time. Just as you'd block out time for important meetings, block out time for deep work, reflection, mentorship, or skill development. Protect it fiercely, treat it with the same urgency you'd treat a client deadline, because its impact on your long-term success and well-being is arguably greater.
SPEAKER_00That's smart. It's almost like if you don't schedule your significance, urgency will always fill the void. And then, at the end of the quarter, you wonder why you feel drained and haven't moved the needle on your personal growth or strategic initiatives.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. And finally, practice acceptance. Some days we'll just be crazy. The Stoics didn't say control everything, they said control your response to everything. When the chaos hits and it will, accept that you cannot control every variable. Focus on your effort, your attitude, your decision making. That's where your power lies.
SPEAKER_00So it's less about trying to tame the wild beast of time and more about taming my own internal reaction to it. Recognizing that a truly significant life isn't about getting everything done, but about choosing wisely what I pour my limited time and energy into, and doing so with a calm, purposeful mindset. That's actually incredibly freeing, John.
SPEAKER_01It is, isn't it? It shifts the focus from an external battle against the clock to an internal mastery of self. So, to all our managers out there, next time the clock feels like it's against you, take that pause. Distinguish between urgency, importance, and most importantly, significance. Your peace of mind and your long-term impact will thank you for it.
SPEAKER_00What a brilliant perspective. Thanks, John, for shining a stoic light on what often feels like an impossible challenge. It really gives you a new framework for navigating the daily grind. Until next time, remember to find your significance.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, Jennifer, and thank you all for joining us on Stoicism for the Modern Manager. We'll catch you in the next episode.