Every Friday, I'm answering one real question from a real leader. No theory. No fluff. Just the stuff you're actually dealing with. And what I'd do about it.

If you've got a question you'd like me to tackle, just hit reply. I read every one.

Let's get into it.

Kelly, first of all… congratulations. Finding work that lights you up is rare. Don't take that for granted.

And I hear you on the time problem. I know that feeling.

When I was running a $100M P&L and managing 400 people, my calendar owned me. Every day was wall-to-wall. Meetings, fires, decisions, repeat.

I told myself I'd read more when things slowed down. I'd think strategically when I had the space. I'd invest in my growth "next quarter."

Next quarter never came.

But here's what I've come to peace with over the years,

(and I want you to hear this before we get into tactics…)

Growth has seasons. And so does performing.

My friend Eduardo Briceño gave a TED Talk on this that rewired how I think about growth. Worth a watch.

I just spent two days with him at a mastermind and his ideas are even sharper now.

Eduardo talks about two zones we operate in.

The performance zone is where you execute. You do the work. You deliver results. You operate with the skills you already have.

The learning zone is where you stretch. You try new things. You study. You reflect. You deliberately work on getting better.

Most professionals spend 100% of their time in the performance zone.

Not because they don't care about growth. Because the performance zone feels productive.

It has deadlines. It has urgency. It rewards you right now.

The learning zone doesn't feel urgent. So it gets squeezed out.

It sounds like that may be what's happening to you, Kelly.

Your performance zone may be eating your learning zone alive.

But… remember, there are two zones for a reason.

You're not supposed to be in both all the time.

I go through seasons of intense growth. Reading, reflecting, absorbing everything I can.

And then I go through seasons where I'm head-down executing. Performing. Building. And it feels like I'm standing still on the growth side.

I used to beat myself up about that. I don't anymore.

Because those performing seasons are when everything you've learned gets put to work.

You're sharpening through repetition. And building the muscle memory that makes the next learning season even more productive.

So the first thing I'd say is this: give yourself grace.

You've gone from finding your passion to reporting to the director to building your own team in a few years. That's a performance season doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

You're clearly growing. The real question is whether you're creating any space to be intentional about it.

And that part, you can control.

When you're ready to make that space, a few things that have worked for me.

1. Treat learning like a meeting with your most important client.

Block 90 minutes a week on your calendar. Label it something that discourages people from booking over it. "Director Prep" or "Strategic Development."

Guard it the way you'd guard a meeting with your boss's boss.

2. Shrink the habit until it's impossible to skip.

15 minutes a day with the right material will do more than 2 hours you keep postponing.

One article. One chapter. One podcast on your commute. One reflection in your notes app before bed.

Small and consistent beats ambitious and abandoned.

3. Attach learning to something you already do.

After every 1:1, spend 3 minutes writing down what you noticed about your leadership in that conversation. What worked. What didn't. What you'd try differently.

That's growth. And it cost you 3 minutes.

4. Pick one skill per quarter. (Not 5. One.)

Right now you're about to build a team. So this quarter, your learning zone is leadership. Read one book on it. Listen to one podcast series. Find one leader you admire and study how they operate.

Go deep on one thing instead of skimming the surface of many.

5. Find a thinking partner.

Growth in isolation is slow. Find someone… a mentor, a peer, a coach… who will push your thinking and hold you accountable.

Some of the biggest leaps in my career came from conversations, not courses.

Open your calendar right now.

Find 90 minutes this week that you can protect. Block it. Name it something that signals importance.

Then pick the one skill you most need for the chapter you're entering. Write it down.

You're entering a season of building, Kelly. The leaders who build well are the ones who keep learning while they're doing it.

But don't confuse a busy season with a wasted one. You're already further than you think.

Keep leading forward,
Justin

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