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Nicolas Cava

Busy ≠ productive: the leadership trap of activity tracking

Many leaders fall into the trap of measuring motion instead of progress. Productivity paranoia leads to micromanagement, not results.

· 1 min read

No leader will ever say they value activity over outcomes.

Yet many let productivity paranoia creep in—measuring presence, counting hours, pushing for updates.

The result?

A blur of motion. Not progress.

If you're optimizing for activity, you're managing the illusion of work.

Focus on what actually moves the needle. Everything else is noise.

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