It’s not about efficiency—it’s about energy, clarity, and accountability.
Productivity is one of the most misused and misunderstood terms in business today. It’s become shorthand for doing more with less—cutting headcount, cramming tasks, and pushing staff harder. But this approach is not only outdated, it’s costing companies millions.
Let’s be clear: productivity isn’t about speed or volume. It’s about value and it is very different to efficiency.
Efficiency is doing the work faster. Productivity is doing the right work better—and inspiring people to sustain it.
That’s not a people problem—it’s a leadership problem. You can’t squeeze more out of disengaged, distracted, or directionless employees. And no system upgrade or cost-cutting measure will close that gap.
Across industries, organisations are getting faster—but not better.
Meetings have doubled in frequency since 2020, yet decision-making lags. Employees are constantly busy, yet project outcomes remain unclear.
Leaders talk about outputs, but rarely about impact.
In fact, McKinsey found that organisations with high employee engagement see 21% greater profitability, 17% higher productivity, and 41% lower absenteeism. Yet most companies still obsess over process, not people.
The result is a culture of frantic activity without meaningful progress.
Here’s the brutal truth: many workplaces have become hyper-efficient at delivering mediocre outcomes.
We’ve created armies of employees who are technically busy, but strategically lost.
If you’re a CEO and productivity is falling, don’t ask who’s underperforming—ask what’s unclear, what’s misaligned, and what’s being rewarded.
Here are the top 3 CEO-level moves to actually boost productivity:
1. Reset Strategic Clarity
Most productivity loss isn’t due to laziness—it’s due to blurred priorities.
When teams don’t know what matters most, everything becomes urgent and nothing is impactful. Set a bold vision, define the ‘non-negotiables’, and ruthlessly align resources. Productivity rises when ambiguity falls.
2. Build Leadership Accountability at All Levels
Middle management is where strategy gets stuck.
Too many leaders are stepping in to do the work rather than stepping up to lead it. Invest in behavioural transformation—not just skills. High-performing teams thrive under clear expectations, consistent standards, and follow-through.
3. Shift Focus from Busyness to Value
Replace “How much did we do?” with “What moved the needle?”
Measure value creation, not activity. Recognise contributions that drive outcomes, not just effort.
In today’s world, productivity is not a tool—it’s a culture.
The question isn’t how fast your people are working. It’s whether they’re working on the right things, with the right energy, under the right leadership.
The CEOs who will win in this next era aren’t the ones who cut faster—they’re the ones who lead smarter.
