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Ep02: Prioritize or Paralyze: Leadership Lessons from Rocks, Chocolate, and Chaos

🔍 Podcast Summary:

Ever feel like you’re drowning in tasks with no clear way out? In this episode, Michael and Vernon unpack what it really means to prioritize strategically as a leader. From Covey’s famous “rocks in a jar” to the chaos of Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory, they explore how planning, transparency, and agility can rescue your organization from overload. Discover practical tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and learn how to make prioritization a shared habit—not just a yearly report.

📘 Full Show Notes:

In this episode of the Engaged By Design podcast, Dr. Michael Cottam and Dr. Vernon Smith explore how mid-level leaders can transform chaos into clarity through intentional prioritization. Using memorable metaphors like Stephen Covey’s “Big Rocks” and the “I Love Lucy” chocolate factory sketch, they address the hidden costs of poor prioritization: burnout, missed deadlines, and mission drift. They break down: - The illusion of doing it all—and why “should” is not a strategy - The role of organizational culture and budgeting in setting (or derailing) priorities - Why strategic plans fail, and how to make them living documents - How tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and value-based filters can restore focus - What the chocolate factory sketch teaches us about pacing and capacity

🎯 Reflection Questions:

  • What are your top 5 priorities right now—and how were they selected?
  • How aligned are those priorities with your mission, values, and capacity?
  • What are you calling a “big rock” that might actually be polished gravel?

🧰 Resources Mentioned:

📣 Call to Action: Like what you heard? Share this episode with a colleague. Subscribe to the show for more MACRO Leadership strategies—and start leading with clarity, not chaos.

 

[1] Stephen R. Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Revised and Updated: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (London: Simon & Schuster, Incorporated, 2020)