FAST COMPANY / THE CEO'S UNPRECEDENTED ERA

In today’s environment, being a sprinter rather than a marathon runner is essential. With disruptive technologies in play and critical decisions becoming obsolete within just a few years, how leaders manage their time has become a crucial factor. While leaders in the past allocated around 5% of their time to the future, this figure has now surged to as much as 70%.

IMPORTANT, BUT NO TIME!

A McKinsey survey of 10,000 global senior executives revealed that 97% consider strategic thinking the most critical leadership behavior. Yet, an identical 97% admitted they don’t devote enough time to it. Ironically, according to research by Radicati, the same leaders find time to respond to an average of 126 emails daily.

Bahar Uçanlar, CEO of Mey|Diageo, echoes this sentiment: "One of the key steps to success in business is developing a planned strategy. While managing today as effectively as possible, we meticulously plan for tomorrow and set our goals. To achieve these goals, we create a roadmap with concrete and measurable steps. I dedicate 30% of my time to planning, creating, and designing the future we envision."

As Uçanlar highlights, meticulous planning is vital. McKinsey's research underscores that major companies often need to reorganize and reevaluate their strategies every 2–3 years, a process that can take up to 18 months. The study notes: "With technology reshaping everything, a 'wait-and-see' approach is not a viable option."

Can Çaka, CEO of IC Holding, agrees that "designing the future" is among the most critical responsibilities of a CEO: "Designing the future and preparing the team for future leadership roles should be a top priority. However, daily operations and short-term objectives often consume more time than they should, reducing the focus on long-term planning."