The CEO Playbook to Reclaim Your Time
🔥by Lisa Goldenthal | The High-Performance Edge
👋 Hi, I’m Lisa — welcome to The High-Performance Edge.
Every week, I share real-world strategies, leadership insights, and a few hard truths that help top executives sharpen focus, multiply results, and lead without burning out.
If you’re ready to think bigger, execute smarter, and stay one step ahead — you’re in the right place.
🧠 Eye-Opening: How to Stop Painful Meetings NOW
Let’s be honest — most meetings are slow-motion brain drains disguised as collaboration.
You’ve been there.
Someone reads the slides.
Someone else says, Let’s take this offline.
And you’re sitting there thinking, I could’ve written an entire strategy deck by now.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s already walked out.
When Musk says, “Walk out of any meeting that isn’t adding value”, he’s not being rude — he’s being ruthlessly efficient.
The question every great leader should steal:
👉 Is this meeting actually moving the needle?
If not?
Get up.
Smile.
Walk out.
⚙️The Hidden Tax of Useless Meetings
The average executive wastes 31 hours every month in unproductive meetings.
That’s four full days of talking about work instead of doing it.
Imagine what your company could do with that time back — innovate, hire better, or maybe even take a breath.
💥The 3-Second Rule: Add Value or Leave
Every moment in a meeting is a decision:
You’re either adding value or adding noise.
If it’s the latter, Elon’s rule applies — walk out.
Not out of arrogance — out of respect for focus.
“Meetings are a symptom of bad organization.” — Peter Drucker
⚡The Energy Audit Test
After every meeting, ask yourself:
Did this energize me or drain me?
If you walk out feeling like you need caffeine and therapy — it wasn’t worth it.
🍕The Two-Pizza Rule
Bezos nailed this one.
If two pizzas can’t feed everyone in the meeting, it’s too big to make a decision.
Fewer people = faster action.
More people = more opinions, less progress.
🚪The Walk-Out Mindset
Walking out isn’t rude — it’s leadership.
It signals: We respect our time here.
Try this in your next meeting:
“If this stops adding value, anyone can leave.”
Watch your culture sharpen overnight.
Focus is about saying no. — Steve Jobs
💣Case Study: The CEO Who Canceled Half His Meetings
One of my clients slashed 50% of recurring meetings and introduced one rule:
Show up prepared or don’t show up.
The result?
✅ Productivity up 42%
✅ Team engagement doubled
✅ CEO finally had space to think again
His biggest regret? Not doing it sooner.
⏳ The Final Audit
Ask these three questions every quarter:
✅ Does this meeting have a purpose?
✅ Is it producing decisions?
✅ Would anything break if we canceled it?
If the answer’s no…
Congratulations — you just found your next hour of freedom.
🧠 Final Thought
Elon’s rule isn’t about being difficult — it’s about protecting time as your most valuable asset.
Because great leaders don’t just show up.
They show up where it matters.
💼 Ready to End Meeting Madness for Good?
If you’re a high-level leader ready to reclaim your time, refocus your team, and end burnout —
🔥 Grab your “Boss Up & Execute Planner™”
and start auditing your meetings like Musk would.
👉 Download Here: Boss Up & Execute Planner™
Let’s turn wasted meetings into winning momentum.
Lisa Goldenthal
Top 15 Executive Coach | LinkedIn Top Voice
Creator of the BOSS Method™ and Boss Up & Execute Planner™
Helping elite CEOs multiply profit and performance without burnout