Most leaders don’t realize how long they’ve been running on empty until they finally stop.
One of the perks of my role is working with all sorts of founders and leaders. I tend to meet them when they’re underwater and in desperate need of support. Some are ready to bring in support. Others say, “Now isn’t the right time.” What they often mean is: “It feels selfish to get help.”
A close friend of mine, a fellow founder and mom of three boys, ran a successful startup and raised multiple rounds of funding. I remember talking with her after her first round, suggesting it might be time to bring in an assistant. She had cash in the bank and was drowning in details. But she hesitated. It felt indulgent, too luxurious, and a little selfish.
Then she raised her second round. We had the same conversation with the same resistance. It wasn’t until she went solo, on her own terms, that she hired a Base EA. Not because the workload changed. But because the permission did.
Suddenly, no one could accuse her of being selfish. She wasn’t taking help. She was investing in her own clarity. That shift changed everything and her business took off. But more than that, she seemed lighter. More present. The kind of energy that draws people in.
That’s the magic of protecting a “thinking margin.”
It’s not about taking time off. It’s about creating space to think. The kind of space that fuels every other decision you make.
We tell ourselves we’ll slow down after [insert any reason here]. This mindset is so persistent that most of us start each day already behind, unsure how to live any other way.
Yet there’s a cost. Our creativity is diminished, our vision is narrowed, and we often have less fun. But stillness isn’t indulgent. It’s what keeps your performance sustainable.
A pause isn’t wasted time. It’s how we learn what’s actually worth doing. Think of it like a buffer zone between urgency and clarity. The thinking margin is where new ideas happen, where bigger pictures become clear, and where burnout gets interrupted.
Protecting space to think doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to overhaul your life. Just start small. A few intentional pauses, repeated often, begin to create real space. For me, it’s daily pages, a short meandering walk, or listening to a song I know every word of. These moments are a bit like cheat codes. We all have them. They’re the simple habits that restore clarity.
What are a few things that instantly brighten your day?
So when you find yourself saying “I don’t have time”, the truth is you haven’t yet made the time. It may feel countercultural, especially for leaders who are used to being everything to everyone.
Try this:
Clarity isn’t selfish. It’s what your team, your company, and your vision actually need from you most. So when you protect the margin, you build sustainable momentum and protect everyone around you.