Top Highlights

• Recognize the Signs  No leader intentionally fabricates false urgency, but it can surreptitiously embed itself and become a team norm. Overturning it begins with recognizing the signs
• Pinpoint the Source of Urgency False urgency reflects a genuine desire to succeed but is often rooted in anxiety.
• For instance, Olga reframed her belief — “Pushing back will make me look uncommitted and damage my relationships” — to “Respectful challenges are a sign of engagement and will enhance mutual respect.”
• Prioritize Ruthlessly Difficulty prioritizing the important over the urgent is a universal struggle and a key culprit in creating false urgency.
• Research shows that we prioritize tasks with the shortest deadlines, even if those aren’t the most important.

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