I caught myself last week jumping into an “urgent” issue that felt critical in the moment. 24 hours later… it resolved itself. What didn’t happen? The strategic work I had already deprioritized to handle it.

As leaders, most of us say strategy is the priority. But urgency is what actually gets our attention.

Seth Godin offers a simple hack:
Write down the emergency stealing your attention. If it’s still important in two days, address it. Most won’t be.

That’s uncomfortable—because urgency feels real:

• Slack pings
• Last-minute escalations
• Fire drills

But here’s the cost:
👉 Every time you shift to the urgent, you train your team to do the same. Over time, the organization drifts from intentional → reactive.

As a leader, you’re the keeper of the strategic flame. You’re not the firefighter!

Your job is to:

• Protect attention from fragmentation
• Reinforce what matters (even when it’s quiet)
• Hold the line when short-term noise is loud

Because if you don’t decide what deserves attention—urgency will decide for you.

💡 A simple filter I’m using now: Before reacting, ask: “Will this matter in 48 hours?”

I’m curious: What’s something demanding your attention right now that probably won’t matter in two days?