Activity vs. Progress: The Busyness Trap Every Leader Needs to Escape

Send us Fan MailA packed schedule feels like momentum. It's not. In this episode, Jordan Raynor joins me to tackle the tension that might be the most frustrating in the entire arc, when you work harder than you ever have and can't point to a single thing that actually moved. We get into why busyness is always easier than real productivity, how to set goals that measure achievement instead of activity, and the one question that cuts through the noise and creates instant clarity.⸻⏱️ Episode Highlights[01:38] – The Busyness Illusion: Why most leaders confuse being busy with making progress.[03:51] – 30 Priorities, Zero Progress: Drowning in objectives, meetings, and fires, with nothing moving.[08:33] – Meet Jordan Raynor: Author and startup CEO who scaled a company from 5 to 150 people.[10:16] – Too Many Goals, Wrong Metrics: Why activity-based goals guarantee you work more and accomplish less.[14:24] – Progress vs. Motion: How to tell the difference from the inside.[17:14] – Busyness Is Easier: Why fake productivity is always more tempting than the real thing.[17:26] – Stop Doing Meeting: The counterintuitive habit that made Jordan more productive.[20:24] – The Leverage Point Question: The one question that cuts through overwhelm instantly.[24:53] – 40 Years in the Desert: The oldest activity vs. progress lesson in Scripture.⸻Links & Resources Mentioned• Discipled Leader Apprenticeship — prestonpoore.com • Discipled Leader Book — prestonpoore.com/books-by-preston • How is Greater Than What Book — prestonpoore.com/book • About Preston — prestonpoore.com/about-preston_poore • Redeeming Your Goals (Jordan Raynor — upcoming book) — Available October • Jordan Raynor's other books: Redeeming the Time, Called to Create - jordanraynor.com/books Connect With MeLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/prestonpoore Facebook: facebook.com/PoorePreston Instagram: instagram.com/prestonpoore1⸻Closing ThoughtsIf today's episode hit home, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Like it, comment, leave a review, it helps more people find the show and quite honestly, it reminds me I'm not just talking to myself in here.Peace out. Be a rock star.About Preston PoorePreston Poore is a former Coca-Cola executive who practices what he preaches. He uses his wealth of hard-earned experience in the corporate arena to help emerging leaders and millennials reach their potential—all while staying true to his values, purpose, and goals.Preston is a Certified Maxwell Leadership Team Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, Trainer, and Executive Coach. Through his books, How Is Greater Than What, Discipled Leader (2022 Selah Awards Nonfiction Book of the Year) and 21 Days to Sound Decision Making, his blog, and podcast, he seeks to help people become redemptive influences in their workplaces and live more fulfilling lives.Learn more about Preston Poore & Associates: https://prestonpoore.comWork with Preston or invite him to speak: https://prestonpoore.com/leadership-development-services/Sign up to receive the P³ Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/prestonpoore.com/thepulseLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonpoore/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/prestonpoore1/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PoorePreston