In my work with leaders, I have had the opportunity to engage with thousands of individuals striving to become better—better leaders, better contributors, and more aligned with who they ultimately want to be.
A consistent question sits at the center of this work:
What is holding you back from becoming your ideal self and leader?
As I have helped leaders explore this question, a clear and somewhat ironic pattern has emerged.
The very thing holding many leaders back is often the same thing that helped them get to where they are today.
That realization is not easy to accept. It suggests that growth is not always about adding something new, but often about letting go of something that has been deeply useful.
Through this work, I have come to see that many leaders are driven by what I call protective needs.
A protective need is an internal pressure that feels necessary to satisfy in order to feel productive, effective, or in control of one’s time and output. It does not feel optional—it feels like something you must maintain in order to stay on top of things.
And in many cases, it once was necessary. It helped you stay organized, meet expectations, and deliver results in fast-paced environments.
But over time, the value we derive from these needs changes. What once helped you succeed can begin to limit how you lead, how you think, and the level of impact you are able to create.
Across the leaders I have worked with, I have found six protective needs that show up most consistently.
In this article, I want to introduce you to one that is increasingly common in today’s fast-moving world—and invite you to consider whether it may be shaping your leadership:
The need to stay efficient.
This is the one I think I wrestle with the most.
The Protective Need to Stay Efficient
At its core, this protective need is the desire to use time well, stay productive, and avoid anything that feels wasteful or unnecessary.
It often shows up as a constant pull to move quickly, stay busy, and keep things progressing. There can be discomfort with slowing down, pausing, or engaging in activities that do not have a clear or immediate payoff.
Leaders driven by this need tend to be highly productive. They are organized, responsive, and focused on getting things done. They often take pride in their ability to move quickly and keep pace with demands.
From the outside, this can look like effectiveness.
And in many ways, it is.
Where This Need Comes From
Like all protective needs, this one develops over time.
For some leaders, it is shaped by environments where productivity was closely tied to value. They may have learned that being busy, efficient, and output-oriented was the way to be recognized or respected.
In other cases, this need is reinforced in modern work environments. Many organizations operate at a rapid pace, with constant demands and expectations for responsiveness. Leaders are expected to manage competing priorities and deliver results quickly.
Technology amplifies this dynamic. With constant access to information, communication, and work, there is little natural separation between activity and rest. The expectation to be “on” can become internalized.
Culture reinforces it further. Busyness is often equated with importance. Efficiency is seen as a strength. Slowing down can feel like falling behind.
Taken together, these influences create a powerful internal orientation:
Stay productive. Keep moving. Don’t fall behind.
And over time, that orientation becomes a default way of operating.
Why It Can Hold You Back
This need often drives output—but it can also limit impact.
When leadership is organized around staying efficient, there can be little space for the kinds of thinking and interaction that create deeper value.
Leaders may rush through conversations. They may prioritize speed over understanding. They may move quickly from one task to the next without fully processing what matters most.
From the outside, this can look like strong execution.
But under the surface, something is being lost.
Efficiency can crowd out effectiveness.
Because many of the most important aspects of leadership are not efficient.
Developing people takes time.
Building trust requires presence.
Thinking strategically demands space.
Addressing complex issues involves exploration, not speed.
When everything is approached through the lens of efficiency, these activities can be minimized or overlooked.
Over time, this creates a different kind of limitation:
The focus on doing more can prevent you from doing what matters most.
Signals This Need May Be Holding You Back
This need tends to surface most clearly in how you relate to time.
You may notice that you:
- Feel uncomfortable when you are not actively producing
- Rush through conversations or decisions
- Become impatient when things take longer than expected
- Avoid activities that do not have a clear or immediate payoff
- Struggle to create space for reflection or strategic thinking
- Feel like you are always behind, even when you are doing a lot
And perhaps most telling:
You equate productivity with value.
The Shift
At some point, growth requires a shift.
This shift is not about becoming less productive.
It is about redefining what productivity means.
Leaders eventually need to confront a difficult truth:
The need to stay efficient is not actually a need.
It is a protective—and perceived—need. One that once helped you manage demands, but is no longer sufficient for leading at higher levels.
And as long as it feels like a true need, it will continue to shape your behavior in ways that limit your effectiveness.
A Higher-Order Way to Lead
The goal is not to eliminate efficiency, but to elevate it.
To move from:
- Needing to stay efficient
to:
- Being committed to focusing on what matters most
This shift changes how leaders operate.
- They become more intentional with their time.
- They create space for thinking, reflection, and connection.
- They prioritize depth over speed when needed.
And over time:
Effectiveness replaces constant activity.
Because leadership is not ultimately about doing more.
It is about creating more value.
How to Begin Making This Shift
This shift begins with awareness.
Notice when you feel the pull to rush, stay busy, or move on too quickly. Pay attention to when slowing down feels uncomfortable.
Then ask:
Are you acting to stay efficient?
Or to be effective?
From there, development often involves intentionally creating space—space to think, to listen, and to engage more deeply.
For some, this includes mindset work: shifting from equating busyness with value to recognizing that impact often requires time and presence.
For others, it may involve reevaluating how they structure their time and priorities, ensuring that what matters most is not crowded out by what is most immediate.
Regardless of the path, the goal is the same:
To loosen your attachment to efficiency so that you can increase your effectiveness.
A Final Thought
To become more of your best self as a leader, you may need to let go of something that has served you well.
The need to stay efficient.
And in its place, adopt a higher-order commitment:
Not to do more—but to do what matters most.
That shift changes how you lead—and what you are able to create.
Want Help Moving Beyond This Protective Need?
If this resonates with you, there are two ways we can work together:
1:1 Coaching
If you want to better understand the deeper drivers shaping how you operate—and do the work to move beyond them—I work with leaders one-on-one to elevate their leadership at the Being Side level.
Organizational Leadership Development
If you want to help your leaders awaken to the protective needs shaping how they lead—and elevate how your organization functions as a whole—I partner with organizations to deliver transformational leadership development experiences.
👉 If you’re interested in either, feel free to reach out and connect.
