Have you ever ended your day feeling exhausted but struggling to pinpoint what you actually accomplished? You worked non-stop, juggled multiple tasks, maybe even stayed back to work late — but at the end of it all, you’re left questioning whether anything meaningful really moved forward.

If this sounds familiar, you might be stuck in what’s known as the productivity paradox. It’s a challenge many leaders — especially new leaders — face: doing more doesn’t always mean achieving more.

In our latest conversation on Leadership Unlocked, we explore how leaders can shift from working harder to working smarter.

The signs you’re caught in the productivity paradox

One of the biggest indicators is the sense of busyness without progress. Some common red flags include:

• Longer hours without better results — being the first in and last out, but not seeing the needle move.
• Constant interruptions — juggling Slack, email, and team requests that chip away at your focus. By switching focus, you can lose 20 minutes of productivity — imagine that happening 3+ times a day!
• Information overload — so much coming at you that procrastination starts to set in.
• Always-on culture — never truly switching off because work follows you home on your devices.

This doesn’t just affect you as a leader. It seeps into your team’s culture, fuelling disengagement, burnout, and even conflict.

Practical shifts leaders can make

The good news? There are simple practices you can put in place to break free of the cycle:

• Have regular one-on-ones
  • Create space for team members to share where they’re gaining energy and where they’re stuck.
  • Use these weekly or fortnightly conversations to reduce constant interruptions by funnelling smaller questions into a structured check-in.
• Focus on outputs, not hours
  • Ask your team, “What are the three most important things this week?”
  • Celebrate when people deliver on outcomes, not just the hours they’ve logged.
• Make wellbeing part of the strategy
  • Role model healthy boundaries like logging off at 5pm.
  • Encourage breaks and flexible work practices.
  • Use regular pulse checks to understand how your team is really doing.
• Build recognition into rhythms
  • Acknowledge contributions in one-on-ones and team meetings.
  • Use tools (like Teamphoria) to publicly celebrate wins and show what “good” looks like.

The shift leaders need to make

Ultimately, the productivity paradox isn’t solved by doing more. It’s about:

• Helping your people work on the right things.
• Creating clarity and reducing noise.
• Leading in a way that balances wellbeing with results.
• Recognising that everyone works differently and shaping your leadership accordingly.

When you step out of “busy mode” and into intentional leadership, you don’t just increase productivity — you create a culture where people can truly thrive.