I built my career by valuing time. As Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and the former CEO of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, I learned that attention is the most scarce asset we have. My stance is simple: shorten your calls, shorten your meetings, and give your best energy back to the people who matter.
The world rewards clarity. Most of us are drowning in open-ended calls and meetings that go nowhere. That is not productivity. That is avoidance. We say we want to be present for our families and our teams, but our calendars tell a different story. I am pushing for a reset.
“If you wanna be efficient, most phone calls should last less than five minutes, and most meetings or interviews should last less than twenty minutes, With exceptions, of course.”
The Case for Radical Brevity
Time limits create focus. When a call is capped at five minutes, you plan, you prioritize, and you get to the point. A twenty-minute meeting forces clarity. It brings out the signal and strips away the noise. The result is more action and less drift.
This is not about being rude. It is about being respectful. Respect for your time. Respect for other people’s time. Respect for the outcomes you both want.
“Why do you spend more time with people that you don’t know or barely know and don’t care about compared to the people that you love the most?”
That line hits hard because it is true. Many of us pour hours into low-value conversations with people we barely know, yet we tell our kids we are too busy. We answer every alert, then wonder why our best relationships feel thin.
My Rules That Actually Work
These are the guardrails I use. Adapt them to your world, but keep the spirit tight and direct.
- Five-minute phone calls. One clear outcome. One decision or next step.
- Twenty-minute meetings. Agenda shared in advance. Start on time. End early when possible.
- Default to “no” on meetings without a written purpose.
- Batch messages twice a day. No constant checking.
- Protect family time like a board meeting. Non-negotiable.
These rules are simple. They ask you to trade drama for discipline.
Evidence From the Field
I have sat in rooms with champions, founders, and coaches. The most effective leaders use short, structured touchpoints and save depth for moments that need it. Their calendars reflect intent. Their teams move faster because decisions do not wait for a one-hour block next week.
Often, you do not need more time. You need more courage. Courage to ask the real question first. Courage to say, “We have what we need—let’s wrap.” Courage to decline a meeting that exists only because it existed last week.
Some will push back and say, “Deep work takes time.” I agree, and I said there are exceptions. Strategy sessions, creative jams, and sensitive talks deserve space. But those should be the exception, not the default. Stop letting every routine update pretend it is a summit.
“Put the fucking phone down.”
That line is blunt on purpose. If your phone runs your day, your day does not serve your life. Set boundaries that make distraction harder. Put the device in another room during meals. Leave it off the nightstand. Use your calendar to protect energy, not just to manage tasks.
How To Start Today
Do not overhaul everything at once. Start with two moves and build momentum.
- Cap your next ten calls at five minutes. Track outcomes. You will be surprised.
- Cut your next five meetings to twenty minutes with a one-sentence purpose. End early if you hit it sooner.
Then, reallocate the time you win. Call your spouse. Read with your kid. Take a walk alone. Use the margin for what you say matters most.
Your calendar is your character. If it is full of things that do not move you, change it. Real leadership is not about adding more. It is about choosing better.
Make your calls shorter. Make your meetings tighter. Make your life richer. The clock is running.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why five minutes for most calls?
Short calls force clarity. You define the outcome, ask the key question, and decide the next step. Most updates and check-ins do not need more time.
Q: How do I end a call or meeting early without being rude?
Set the limit up front, recap decisions, assign ownership, and close with appreciation. Clear expectations make a crisp ending feel respectful.
Q: What about creative work or sensitive conversations?
Those are valid exceptions. Schedule longer blocks with a defined purpose. Protect them, but do not let routine items expand to fill that space.
Q: How can leaders apply this without hurting team morale?
Share the “why,” publish agendas, invite input async, and use brief stand-ups. People value results and reclaimed time more than long meetings.
Q: What first step helps reduce phone distraction?
Batch notifications and move the phone out of sight during key hours. Physical distance makes it easier to stay present and focused.
