A CEO, a calendar, and three red items
Discover how a CEO uses a calendar and three red items to boost leadership focus, productivity, decision making, and strategic impact.
By Stuart Andrews
On a Monday morning, a CEO flips through a crowded calendar: back‑to‑back standups, a budget fire drill, and a strategic bet slipping to yellow. In the middle of the chaos, an operator steps in with a one‑page briefing and a simple ask: try a 90‑day experiment. One monthly operating review focused on the top five KPIs. One quarterly strategy forum for the big calls. A clear “what, who, when” after
Most leadership teams live in reactive mode. The content shows a practical way out: run two linked rhythms. First, a quarterly Strategy Forum (90–120 minutes) to weigh 12–36‑month bets, resource pivots above a set dollar threshold, and scenarios. Second, a monthly Operating Review (60–90 minutes) that tracks the top six KPIs, dives only into red items, and closes decisions with owners and dates. Y
Why this matters now: executives spend a huge share of their week in meetings, but not the ones that create leverage. In a landmark study, CEOs spent about 62.5 hours per week working and 72% of their work time in meetings—yet much of that time didn’t reach customers or long‑term strategy. (hbr.org)