Chapter 1: Understanding Leadership Roles

How do you define what it means to be a leader? More specifically, how should leaders allocate their time? Leadership can be intricate, with each leader bringing their own style, background, and perspective to the table. Additionally, the level of leadership—be it a front-line manager, a middle manager, or a senior executive—adds layers of complexity to the role.

In this article, I will introduce a straightforward framework to help you "Mind Box"—that is, to structure and optimize your time for maximum impact.

The Three Core Aspects of Leadership

Regardless of your position or industry, effective leaders should concentrate on three primary dimensions of their role, which I refer to as the ‘3Ps’ of leadership: People, Process, and Product.

#### People

People are the foundation of any organization. Without them, the organization lacks substance.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

As a leader, it's crucial to focus on both your team members and external stakeholders. Strive to cultivate a culture of trust and inclusion while aligning your team's contributions with business objectives. Depending on the context, you may need to adopt various roles such as coach, mentor, taskmaster, or problem-solver.

Some questions to consider include:

• How can I create an environment of trust and belonging?
• What drives my teams to give their best effort?
• What development opportunities can I offer to facilitate growth?
• How can I ensure that high performers receive the recognition they deserve?
• What strategies will help me build a high-performing team?
• How do I hold my teams accountable for their responsibilities?

#### Process

To understand how an organization operates, one must examine its processes. I liken processes to an ‘X-Ray’ that reveals the internal mechanisms of an organization.

“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” — Peter Drucker

As a leader, you must balance efficiency and effectiveness. Ensure that your operations are streamlined, resources are appropriately allocated, and waste is minimized. Additionally, help your teams define their goals and keep them focused on the right path. Your role is to guide them toward the most effective route to business success.

Key questions to ask include:

• Am I using resources optimally (human, financial, time, etc.)?
• Does my team understand what they need to achieve for maximum value?
• Are there barriers hindering efficient execution?
• Do we have sufficient automation to enhance productivity?
• How do we monitor our performance through KPIs and metrics?
• What decisions can we make today to accelerate our impact?

#### Product

Ultimately, your organization aims to create and deliver a product, service, or platform that meets customer needs. Here, I use the term ‘product’ in its broadest sense.

“Your brand is formed primarily, not by what your company says about itself, but what the company does.” — Jeff Bezos

As a leader, you should always be contemplating how to develop the best possible product—one that addresses genuine customer needs. Stay attuned to customer feedback and continuously innovate while keeping an eye on market trends and competition.

Questions to reflect on:

• Who are our key customers?
• What are their needs and expectations?
• How do we deliver the value they seek?
• How can we assess our success in meeting those needs?
• What strategies will help us outperform competitors?
• How do we enhance customer experience and loyalty?
• How can we innovate ahead of the competition?

The Two Layers of Leadership

Having examined the 3Ps, let’s shift our focus to the two layers of leadership. Each leader has a specific role within their organization and operates at a certain level of hierarchy, which influences their scope of work and overall impact.

Leaders generally function in two layers: Tactics and Strategy.

#### Strategy

This aspect is often where many leaders struggle. Numerous leaders become ensnared in daily tasks, neglecting the strategic contributions they can offer.

As a leader, it's essential to maintain a forward-looking perspective and contemplate where you want to guide your organization. Assess long-term objectives, evaluate your team's capabilities, and stay alert to potential opportunities and threats. Your decisions should be informed by a long-term vision, especially as you transition into higher leadership roles.

Key strategic questions include:

• What is our resource allocation strategy?
• What are our location choices?
• Which skills do we need to develop over the next few years?
• What roadmap should we draft for the coming years?
• How can we enhance organizational efficiency in the long run?
• What innovations can we introduce today to prepare for future challenges?

#### Tactics

At its core, your role as a leader is to ensure that objectives are met. Regardless of your intelligence or your organization’s creativity, failing to deliver results means not fulfilling your responsibilities.

Tactics revolve around day-to-day execution—the bottom line. You must ensure that your teams are on track to achieve their goals, particularly for front-line and junior managers who devote most of their time to these tasks.

Key tactical questions include:

• What are my top priorities for today?
• Are there customer issues that require my input?
• What decisions can I make today to assist my team?
• What information do I need from my team, and where can I access it?
• What updates should I share with my team to support their efforts?

Integrating the 6-Box Framework

Leadership is multifaceted, often presenting unexpected challenges that require quick thinking and decisive action.

In this article, I've outlined a 6-box framework, termed “Mind Boxing,” that leaders can adopt to bring structure to their roles. This framework enables you to be more deliberate about how you allocate your time and maximize its value.

#### The 3 Verticals are:

• People: Fostering the well-being of your teams while holding them accountable.
• Process: Ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in work execution.
• Product: Delivering outstanding products or services that meet customer demands.

#### The 2 Layers are:

• Tactics: Delivering results and managing day-to-day challenges.
• Strategy: Focusing on long-term objectives and guiding the organization toward its goals.

Applying the Mind Box

To utilize the Mind Box framework in your leadership role:

1. Determine how to distribute your time among the 6 boxes based on your goals and priorities. Collaborate with your manager if necessary to identify the optimal allocation. For example, you might allocate 70% of your time to Strategy and 30% to Tactics, further dividing your time among the 3P verticals (People, Process, Product).

2. Review your calendar and to-do lists in alignment with your time allocation. I often color-code my meetings in Outlook to visualize where my time is spent.
3. Regularly reassess your allocation, as priorities may shift over time. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, being intentional about your time management is key.

If you enjoyed this content, I welcome your feedback in the comments. If you found it valuable, consider following me or giving me some claps as encouragement. Connect with me on LinkedIn or X to learn more about my insights. Please note that the views expressed are my own and not representative of any organization.