If you’re a business leader, chances are you’ve felt the crushing weight of responsibility at some point—maybe even daily. Growth brings complexity, and before you know it, you’re buried under problems only you can solve. Your team depends on you, but deep down, you wonder if they have what it takes to take the business to the next level.
So what do you do? Work harder? Put in longer hours? Try to be everywhere at once?
That’s the trap. And it’s why so many leaders end up exhausted, frustrated, and unable to scale their business effectively.
But what if the real secret to success isn’t working harder—but working smarter? What if the key to unlocking your full leadership potential is doing more of what you love and ruthlessly eliminating everything else?
In this episode of The Kingdom Leadership Advantage, I break down the exact system for maximizing productivity, empowering your team, and finding joy in your work—all while multiplying your impact. It’s not theory—it’s a proven framework that has transformed organizations time and time again.
Let’s dive in.
The Game-Changer: Joy vs. Contribution
One of the most powerful exercises I teach leaders is mapping their work based on two factors:
- Joy – How much you enjoy doing the task.
- Contribution – How much the task impacts your organization.
When you categorize your daily work through this lens, everything becomes clear.
The Four Quadrants of Work
Quadrant 1 – High Joy, High Contribution (Your Zone of Genius)
- These are the tasks where you thrive.
- They energize you and have a major impact on your business.
- The goal? Spend as much time as possible here.
Quadrant 2 – High Joy, Low Contribution (The Distractions in Disguise)
- These are enjoyable but don’t move the needle.
- They often become “filler tasks” when we procrastinate on the important stuff.
- The key? Contain them—limit the time spent here and schedule them wisely.
Quadrant 3 – Low Joy, High Contribution (Necessary but Draining Work)
- These tasks are crucial to the business, but you don’t love them.
- The strategy? Delegate, automate, or rethink the process to make them more enjoyable.
Quadrant 4 – Low Joy, Low Contribution (Eliminate Immediately!)
- These tasks neither bring joy nor impact the business.
- If you can cut one thing today, cut this.
This exercise provides a roadmap to where your time should be spent—and more importantly, what you need to eliminate or delegate ASAP.
Step 1: Ruthlessly Eliminate the Tasks That Drain You
Many leaders believe they need to “do it all” to serve their team. But let me challenge that thought—doing everything yourself is not servant leadership—it’s self-sabotage.
If you keep taking on low-value work, you’re not helping your team. You’re holding them back and stifling your own growth.
The Plan:
Delete Quadrant 4 tasks immediately – You shouldn’t be doing these. Period.
Protect Quadrant 1 tasks fiercely – This is where your leadership and creativity shine. Defend this time like your success depends on it—because it does.
Strategically delegate Quadrant 3 tasks – Hire, train, or outsource so you can focus on what truly matters. Even if someone can only do 80% of what you did, that’s enough.
Once you remove unnecessary tasks and delegate others, you instantly create space for high-impact work.
Step 2: Defend Your Best Work Time
Let me ask you something—when do you schedule your most important work?
Morning? Midday? Whenever you “get to it”?
One of the biggest leadership mistakes is treating all tasks equally. They’re not.
Your highest-energy time should be dedicated to Quadrant 1 work—your most valuable tasks.
Emails, admin work, and Quadrant 2 tasks? Push them to non-peak hours.
What kills productivity? Constant interruptions and multitasking.
Research shows that switching between tasks can reduce your IQ by 10-20 points. It’s like trying to sleep while someone wakes you up every 30 minutes—it’s exhausting.
So here’s the rule: Batch similar tasks together.
Want to be more productive? Stop switching between meetings, deep work, and emails every hour.
Want to lead more effectively? Block out uninterrupted focus time.
If you only made this change, you’d likely double your output in a week.
Step 3: Make Boring Tasks More Enjoyable (The Inversion Hack)
Some tasks, no matter how necessary, drain us.
But instead of suffering through them, why not make them more enjoyable?
Inversion is a simple but powerful technique: pair something you dislike with something you love.
Here are a few examples:
🔹 A CEO who hated answering emails did them in a hot tub with a glass of wine.
🔹 A business leader who dreaded returning calls did them while walking in nature.
🔹 One of my team members pairs coffee and chocolate with her least favorite tasks.
The key? Find ways to inject joy into draining work—or better yet, delegate it.
Step 4: Structure Your Week for Maximum Impact
Now that you know what tasks to focus on, it’s time to redesign your week.
Instead of cramming everything into random time slots, give each day a focus.
My Weekly Structure:
Monday – Leadership & Team Check-Ins
- Focus on guiding and empowering my leaders.
Tuesday – Deep Work on Key Projects
- No meetings, just strategic work.
Wednesday – Marketing & Growth Strategy
- Creating content, refining business strategy.
Thursday – Content Creation & Training
- Developing courses, writing, and coaching.
Friday – Vision & Co-Creation with the Lord
- Big-picture thinking, long-term strategy, and creativity.
Why this works:
- No switching between unrelated tasks.
- Fewer distractions = deeper, more impactful work.
- Better energy alignment = higher productivity.
Step 5: Lead Like a Conductor, Not a Soloist
Imagine an orchestra.
A conductor doesn’t run around playing the violin, then the drums, then the piano.
They lead the musicians—and the result is a masterpiece.
But too many leaders try to do it all—micromanaging every detail instead of empowering their team.
Here’s what true leadership looks like:
🔹 Coach your team, don’t just manage them.
🔹 Give them ownership, not just instructions.
🔹 Create leaders, not followers.
Jack Welch, one of the most influential CEOs of the 20th century, spent 70% of his time training his team. He knew that building great leaders was the key to lasting success.
Your job isn’t to do everything. Your job is to make everyone around you better.
The Success Secret is Simplicity
Want to transform your leadership? Start today.
- Do more of what you love.
- Eliminate or delegate what drains you.
- Structure your time for maximum impact.
- Empower your team to lead.
Because at the end of the day, the key to success isn’t doing more—it’s doing less of the wrong things.
The more restful I become, the more I do.
That’s the paradox of kingdom leadership. The lighter your load, the greater your impact.
Now go take action. Your best leadership years are ahead of you.
Listen to the full podcast episode here: Do What You Love – Success Secrets
For more insights and leadership strategies from Dionne Van Zyl, visit dionnevanzyl.com.