Rule No. 16 đź“” Time Is Your Most Precious Asset.

The Principle: Where you spend your time tells you what you really value. If your entire day is spent putting out fires, answering every question, and chasing other people’s priorities, you’re letting the business run you. Protect time for the work that matters most. Your calendar is a record of where your life is going. Spend it wisely.

Time is your most precious asset.

The Hard Truth

Money comes back. People can be replaced. Time doesn’t.

Executive insights 👥 Tell us how that played out in your company.

Name
We will never add you to a mailing list, without your direct permission. We will never sell, share, or monetize your information.
Select the Rule that resonates with you:
Prefer to speak instead of type? Record a short video insight (up to 5min.). After pressing record, wait 3–4 seconds before speaking to allow the camera to begin. You’ll be able to preview your video before submitting. A face and voice behind the lesson helps bring the Rule to life for other leaders.
Share your insight, a lesson learned or a turning point in your business or your leadership style.
Describe a situation where this principle helped, failed, or changed the direction of a decision in your business.
What did this experience teach you about leadership, decision-making, or running a business?
Was there a concept, passage, or idea that stuck with you or shaped how you think about this Rule?
If another executive were wrestling with this principle, what would you tell them?
Have an additional insight on this topic? Share any further lessons, observations, or experiences that may help other business leaders think differently about this fundamental business Rule.
⚠️Content Integrity Statement

To preserve the quality and credibility of The Executives Institute, all submissions must be attributed to a real person. We do not accept anonymous contributions. Our goal is to build a trusted platform grounded in lived experience, not vague opinions or internet commentary. Every insight published on this site comes from a real business owner or leader willing to stand behind their words, helping protect the value of the Institute for all Members. Contributors may contact us at any time to edit or remove their submission. We respect your voice and your choice to participate. At the same time, The Executives Institute reserves the right to remove any submission at our discretion, including in cases of public misconduct, reputational harm, or behavior that compromises the integrity of the platform and its contributors.

  • Contributors verification by LinkedIn profile and/or company websites
  • Those companies must be based in the United States
  • Your submissions must be in English
  • We do not email our contributors
  • We do not sell or share their information
⚠️Not every submission will be published

Your insights (if approved), along with your name, company, website and/or LinkedIn profile may be added to any specific Rule’s page, bringing valuable exposure for you and your organization to 1000s of U.S. business leaders. Every time you share an insight, you don’t just strengthen the Institute, you elevate your brand. Leaders talk. Leaders refer.

By submitting content to The Executives Institute, you agree that:

  • your submission is your own work
  • you have the right to share it
  • your submission may be edited for clarity, length, or formatting
  • your submission may be published on the Site or in related materials

By submitting content, you grant The Executives Institute a non-exclusive, perpetual license to display and distribute that content as part of the Institute’s mission. The Executives Institute Terms of Use + Privacy Policy

đź“– the book behind the Rule

The Time Trap, by Alec Mackenzie

Most business owners don’t have a shortage of things to do. They have a shortage of time to do the things that matter. In The Time Trap, Alec Mackenzie exposes the everyday habits, interruptions, unnecessary meetings, poor planning, and reluctance to delegate that quietly steal our most valuable resource. The lesson is straightforward: being busy doesn’t mean you’re being productive. Taking control of your time requires discipline, clear priorities, and the willingness to change how you work.

Executive Takeaway: Your calendar is a reflection of your priorities, whether you intended it to be or not. Stop letting the urgent crowd out the important, and make time for the work only you can do.

“If you don’t control your time, someone else will.” — Alec Mackenzie

The Time Trap: The Classic Book on Time Management by Alec Mackenzie and Pat Nickerson

You can make more money. You can hire another person. You can recover from a bad decision. You cannot get back last Tuesday. Every hour you give to something is an hour you can never use again. Treat your time like the asset it is.

🎓 MASTER Rule No. 16 —Time is your most precious asset.

  • When to Apply | Red Flags
  • Rule Overview
  • Ask the Right Questions
  • Contrarian View
  • Actionable Strategies
  • Real World Scenarios
  • Leadership Team Discussion
  • Rules to Results Workshop
  • The Right Track | Green Flags
  • Key Terms
  • Book Summary
  • Author Links
  • Executive Insights
  • Worth Watching
  • Related Reading

October 2026

This Master Class is in development.

Help us build each of the 50 Master Classes, by adding your insights and sharing your entrepreneurial stories.

Class begins Monday, January 4, 2027, with each Rule being built out as we go. Each will contain the study sections listed above and will continue to evolve through your contributions. As business leaders continue to challenge these ideas, the Institute becomes more and more valuable, not because it’s finished, but because it never will be.

Connect With Our Founder on LinkedIn