| Time Block Type | Primary Goal | Typical Length | Best Time of Day | Who Gets Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Strategy Blocks | Thinking, direction, big decisions | 90-120 minutes | Morning | Only you |
| Leadership Blocks | 1:1s, hiring, culture | 60-90 minutes | Late morning / early afternoon | Direct reports |
| Execution Blocks | Reviews, approvals, key ops | 45-60 minutes | Afternoon | Core team |
| External Blocks | Investors, partners, customers | 30-60 minutes | Mid / late afternoon | Outside contacts |
| Buffer & Admin Blocks | Email, Slack, clean-up | 20-30 minutes | Start / end of day | Open |
Most CEOs I talk to are not short on ideas. They are short on clean, uninterrupted thinking time. The calendar looks full, the day feels busy, but strategy lives in the cracks between meetings. That is a problem, because the higher you go, the more your main job is thinking, not reacting. Time blocking is not a productivity trick for you. It is how you protect your only non‑renewable strategic asset: your attention.
Why your current schedule quietly kills strategy
Let me guess how your week goes.
You start with some sort of plan. Then a board member asks for an update. A key hire wants to “hop on a quick call”. A customer escalates a problem. Next thing you know, your calendar looks like someone threw meeting confetti all over it.
Your actual work as a CEO lives in three buckets:
1. Where are we going.
2. Who is coming with us.
3. What will we say no to.
Those are strategic by nature. They need time, context, and mental space. Instead they compete with 15 minute status calls and Slack pings.
The problem is not that you have meetings. You will always have meetings. The problem is the shape of your time.
Strategy needs long, unbroken stretches. Most CEOs have short, fragmented ones. You get 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there. By the time your brain warms up, you are back in Zoom.
If your calendar is full of other people’s priorities, your strategy is random, even if you feel in control.
Time blocking fixes the shape. It turns your day into a few clear lanes, so you know when you are thinking, when you are leading, and when you are reacting.
What “deep strategy” actually looks like in a CEO schedule
Before you block time for deep strategy, you need a clear picture of what belongs in that block and what does not.
Deep work vs deep strategy
Deep work can be almost anything that needs focus:
– Writing a long email
– Reviewing a big contract
– Preparing a board deck
Deep strategy is narrower. It is work that changes the future of the business in a meaningful way. For example:
– Mapping the 3 year vision and the next 12 months of bets
– Deciding which product lines to stop
– Reworking the org chart for the next stage
– Thinking through a critical acquisition or partnership
– Clarifying the company’s real advantage in the market
If it can be fully delegated with context and still be good, it is probably not deep strategy. You might still do it, but it sits in a different block.
Your calendar should show, at a glance, when you are working on the future, not just maintaining the present.
Signals that your schedule is starving strategy
Look at your last 2 weeks. If any of these feel familiar, you do not have enough deep strategy time:
– You do “big thinking” on airplanes, weekends, or at night.
– Your leadership team asks for direction you thought you already gave.
– Important decisions drag for weeks because you never sit with them.
– Your quarterly goals feel like a list of projects, not a clear story.
– You are often “surprised” by issues that were predictable.
Most CEOs think they are doing strategic work because they talk about strategy in meetings. That is not the same.
Discussing options is not strategy. Deciding, writing it down, and lining up tradeoffs is.
The core idea: block your calendar like a strategist, not a manager
Time blocking is simple on the surface:
You assign specific blocks on your calendar to specific types of work. Then you defend those blocks like revenue.
The mistake is to copy some perfect looking template. You are not trying to become a robot. You are trying to create just enough structure to protect deep thinking, while leaving room for the chaos that comes with the CEO role.
Think of your week in three layers:
1. Fixed pillars: The blocks that rarely move.
2. Flexible lanes: Time that has a theme but can shift.
3. Chaos buffers: Space for the unexpected.
Deep strategy sits in the first layer.
Designing your ideal “deep strategy” week
Let us build a model week. Then we will adjust it to your reality.
How many hours of deep strategy do you actually need
For most CEOs, a realistic target is:
– Early stage (0-30 people): 6-8 hours per week
– Growth stage (30-150 people): 8-10 hours per week
– Later stage (150+ people): 10-12 hours per week
That is not all in one chunk. That is spread across the week in focused blocks.
If you are currently at 0-2 hours, jumping to 12 will not stick. Start with 2 dedicated blocks per week. Once those are a habit, add a third.
The weekly structure: a simple working template
Think in terms of days and rhythms, not minute‑perfect schedules.
Here is a pattern that works for many CEOs:
– 3 mornings per week with a 2 hour deep strategy block
– 2 shorter “bridge” blocks to review and adjust strategy with your team
– Clear “no strategy” days where you embrace meetings and execution
For example:
– Monday: Morning strategy 9:00-11:00
– Wednesday: Morning strategy 9:00-11:00
– Thursday: Morning strategy 9:00-11:00
This is not sacred. You can shift days. The point is consistent protected time.
Why mornings usually win for strategic work
Your brain is fresher. Your decision fatigue is lower. Fewer emergencies have landed on your plate.
You also send a cultural signal. When people see that your mornings are blocked for thinking and direction, they treat that as normal. Over time, this shapes how your leaders think about their own time.
Could you do deep strategy at night? Yes. Many CEOs do. The problem is that you also pay with sleep, family, and recovery. That tradeoff looks fine for a few months. Over years, it erodes judgment.
What actually happens inside a deep strategy block
This is where many people get stuck. They block the time, sit down, then stare at their screen. Or they drift into email.
Deep strategy blocks need a clear “job” before they start.
Use a simple strategy backlog
Keep one running document called “Strategy Backlog”. This is your parking lot for big topics. Every time something strategic pops up, it goes there, not onto your random to‑do list.
Examples of entries:
– “Should we expand into market X in the next 18 months.”
– “Revisit pricing model: is our current model capping growth.”
– “Define what we will never build.”
– “Org design if we double headcount.”
Before each week, you pick 1-3 items from this backlog for your deep blocks. Not 10. Not 20. One to three.
A deep block without a clear question is where your attention goes to wander. A deep block with one hard question is where strategy forms.
A simple 90-120 minute block structure
Here is a pattern that keeps the block focused:
– 0-10 minutes: Setup
– Close email, Slack, Teams.
– Phone in another room.
– Open only the doc or tool you need.
– Re‑write the question you are solving at the top of the page.
– 10-35 minutes: Quick scan and context
– Review current data or notes.
– Read any relevant brief from your team.
– Write what you think the answer is right now, before deep analysis.
– 35-80 minutes: Think and write
– Map options and tradeoffs on paper or in a doc.
– Write 1-2 possible decisions and “why not” for each.
– Ask, “What has to be true for this to work.”
– 80-105 minutes: Decide the next move
– Decide: do you have enough to make a decision.
– If yes, write a clear decision statement and key bullets.
– If no, write the question you still need answered and who will get that data.
– 105-120 minutes: Debrief and schedule
– Drop 2-3 actions into your task system or calendar.
– Schedule any follow‑up meetings tied to this decision.
– Write a short summary for your leadership team, even if you do not send it yet.
You will be tempted to extend the block when you are in flow. Sometimes that is fine. Just do not steal from future deep blocks every time you feel excited about a topic.
“I am a CEO, not a monk”: dealing with the real world
This is where theory breaks. Emergencies pop up. Investors want a call. Your deep block gets hijacked.
The goal is not a perfect week. The goal is a schedule where strategy loses less often.
The 3 rules for defending deep blocks
1. Deep blocks are movable, not cancellable.
If you must give one up, you immediately slide it to another open slot that week. You do that in the same conversation where you agree to the new meeting.
2. Other people’s “urgent” does not auto‑win.
You can say, “I am in a priority block at that time. I can do 2:30 pm instead.” Most “urgent” items survive a few hours of delay.
3. Your assistant is your gatekeeper.
If you have an EA, they control access. They treat the deep blocks as if you are in a board meeting. No one gets booked there without your explicit approval.
If you would not cancel a board meeting for it, do not cancel a deep strategy block either.
Handling true emergencies
Of course there are real fires:
– Security breach
– Major outage
– Legal threat
– Key executive departure
In these cases, you break the rule. You give up the block. You deal with the problem.
The mistake is to treat every loud problem as a fire. Over time, people learn your patterns. When they see that your mornings are protected and that you respond in early afternoon, they adapt.
Turning strategy into team momentum, not private insight
Time blocking for deep strategy only matters if those insights leave your notebook.
Many CEOs love thinking. They fill journals, notes, mind maps. The company still moves slowly because the thinking stays in their head.
From thought to decision to narrative
Each deep strategy block should end with something tangible in one of three forms:
1. A decision: “We will do X, not Y, starting from date Z.”
2. A narrative: A short one page explainer of a direction.
3. A question: A sharper version of the strategic question for your team.
Aim for written outputs. Spoken direction in a meeting is fragile. People hear different things.
You do not need elegant documents. Bullet notes in a shared doc are fine. What matters is clarity.
Use “strategy bridge” blocks with your team
Block short sessions to connect your thinking with your leadership team:
– 30 minute “strategy sync” once per week
– Focus on one topic that came out of your deep block
– Share the context, your draft thinking, and ask for pushback
This does two things:
– It improves your decision quality. Your leaders see angles you missed.
– It trains your team to think at the right altitude.
Over time, some of your deep strategy topics will shift to your leaders. That is a good sign. It means your time can move to even higher leverage questions.
Designing your calendar by “altitude” of work
One simple model I like uses three altitudes:
– 30,000 ft: Direction. Vision. Markets. Large tradeoffs.
– 10,000 ft: Systems. Org design. Roadmaps. Resourcing.
– Ground level: Projects. Tasks. Immediate issues.
Too many CEO calendars are stuck at ground level. Time blocking helps you spend more time at the right altitude.
Assign different times to different altitudes
Here is one workable pattern:
– Early mornings: 30,000 ft (deep strategy blocks)
– Late mornings: 10,000 ft (leadership syncs, planning)
– Afternoons: Ground level (reviews, external calls, admin)
This way, even if your afternoons are a mess, you still get meaningful time at the top level.
You can be flexible. Some CEOs prefer 10,000 ft in the morning and 30,000 ft in a single long block each Friday. The pattern matters less than the separation.
If every hour has mixed altitude, your brain never adjusts. You fly up to strategy, crash down to details, then back again. That switch is what drains you.
Practical calendar tactics that actually help
Let us get a bit tactical. The details here often make the difference between “nice idea” and “new reality”.
Name your blocks clearly
Do not label it “work time”. That invites confusion. People will assume it is flexible.
Use clear names like:
– “CEO Strategy: Market & Vision”
– “CEO Strategy: Org & People”
– “CEO Strategy: Capital & Risk”
You can color code them on your calendar. That visual cue helps you and your assistant see the week at a glance.
Shorten default meeting length
Most calendar tools default to:
– 60 minutes for any meeting
– 30 minutes for short ones
Change your defaults to:
– 45 minutes for normal meetings
– 20 minutes for short ones
Over a week, those extra 10-15 minutes per meeting pile up. You can group them into extra focus time or buffers between blocks.
Batch related meetings
Try to batch by type:
– Investor / finance meetings on one afternoon.
– Sales / customer meetings on another.
– Internal 1:1s in a tight cluster.
Context switching is where you bleed time. Batching keeps your mind on similar topics for a few hours.
Use friction for new meetings
Create a simple rule set with your assistant:
– Any new recurring meeting requires your explicit approval.
– Any meeting over 45 minutes needs an agenda.
– Random “can we chat” requests get a 15 minute slot in a standard window.
You are not trying to become hard to reach. You are making sure new commitments are conscious, not accidental.
Managing email, Slack, and other distractions
Strategy time dies more from small cuts than big ones. A quick check of email quickly becomes 25 minutes lost.
You do not need to empty your inbox every hour. Your company will not crumble if you respond to Slack at set times.
Time box communication
A simple pattern:
– 20-30 minutes in the morning after your first block
– 20-30 minutes after lunch
– 20-30 minutes at the end of the day
Outside those windows, you are not in communication tools unless your job at that moment is communication.
If that feels extreme, try soft rules first. For example, no email or Slack for the first 90 minutes of your day.
Set expectations with your team
Tell your team how you work:
– “I check Slack three times a day.”
– “If something is truly urgent, text or call.”
– “Morning blocks are for strategy; I am not available then.”
This reduces anxiety on both sides. People know what to expect from you. They stop assuming a slow reply means you are upset or ignoring them.
Using deep blocks for life strategy too
You are not just a CEO. You are also a human with a life. Deep thinking is not only for business.
Some of the best CEO growth I have seen came from blocks that looked “personal” on the surface:
– Thinking about how much time you want to spend with family.
– Planning your own learning and health.
– Deciding what you no longer want to do in the company.
These topics affect your leadership as much as any pricing decision.
A separate monthly “life CEO” block
Once a month, block 2-3 hours for yourself. No business agenda.
Questions you might work through:
– What did I say yes to last month that I regret.
– Where did my energy go.
– Which parts of my week feel light, which parts feel heavy.
– What one thing could I stop doing to create more margin.
This is not therapy. It is you doing strategy on your own life. That clarity often spills over into better company decisions.
Measuring whether time blocking works for you
You do not need complex metrics. Your own sense of control and clarity is already a strong signal.
Still, it helps to have a few simple checks.
Three weekly questions
At the end of the week, ask yourself:
1. Did I complete at least two full deep strategy blocks.
2. Did I make or refine at least one significant strategic decision.
3. Do I feel less scattered than last week.
If you answer “no” three weeks in a row, your system needs adjustment.
Calendar audit once a month
Once a month, review the past 4 weeks:
– How many hours were in deep strategy blocks.
– How many got cancelled without rescheduling.
– Which meetings could have been email or delegated.
Then adjust:
– Remove one recurring meeting.
– Add one more buffer block.
– Protect one more deep block.
Small tweaks compound. You do not need a full schedule overhaul every time something changes.
Common CEO objections and how to handle them
You might feel some of these in your head right now.
“My job is to be available”
Your job is to be available for the right things.
If you are always reachable for every question, you become the default problem solver. Your team does not grow. Strategy gets crowded out.
Being reachable in defined windows creates more trust, not less, because your responses become more thoughtful.
“My business is too reactive for this”
Some fields are reactive by nature. Support, trading, crisis PR, and so on.
You still control parts of your week. Maybe you cannot block 3 mornings. You can usually block 1. Or you can block shorter 60 minute windows.
The key is not size. The key is consistency. Even one untouched 90 minute block per week, every week, changes your ability to think ahead.
“I do my best thinking under pressure”
You might feel sharper with a deadline. Many people do. That does not mean you do your best strategic thinking in chaos.
Pressure is useful for shipping. It is not as useful for choosing direction. Strategy needs some calm space where fear and ego are a bit quieter.
Bringing your team into the same rhythm
You will get more lift when your direct reports also learn to protect thinking time.
You do not need everyone doing the exact same system. You just want common language.
Introduce “focus culture” without buzzwords
You can share something like this with your team:
– “I am carving out blocks for deep work on strategy.”
– “I want each of you to have protected time for your most important thinking.”
– “Pick 2 blocks per week, 90 minutes each, and protect them.”
Ask them later:
– What did you use those blocks for.
– What got in the way.
– What changed in the quality of your decisions.
When leaders experience the benefit personally, you no longer need to sell it. It becomes the way your company works.
Use the calendar as a coaching tool
In 1:1s, look at your reports’ calendars with them:
– Are they in meetings all day.
– Do they have any focus blocks.
– Are they spending time at the right altitude for their role.
You can ask, “If I looked at your calendar without your job title, would I guess you are a leader.”
That question alone can shift how they plan their time.
Making time blocking stick for more than 2 weeks
The real test is not the first week. It is week five, when travel ramps up or a new project hits.
Two final ideas help you through that stage.
Plan your week before it starts
Pick a time on Friday afternoon or Sunday evening:
– Review next week’s calendar.
– Lock in your deep strategy blocks.
– Pre‑assign topics from your strategy backlog.
This takes 15-20 minutes. It prevents your week from being “fully booked” before you even look.
Accept that imperfect is still progress
You will have weeks where every deep block gets moved. Some will get lost.
That does not mean the approach failed. Strategy used to get zero dedicated time. Now it fights for space. That alone changes how you see your job.
Over time, the real shift is in your identity. You stop seeing yourself as the person who has to handle every request. You start seeing yourself as the person who designs the future and creates the conditions for others to execute it.
Your calendar is not just a tool. It is a mirror of what you value. When it shows clear, protected time for deep strategy, you raise the odds that your company will follow a clear, deliberate path instead of drifting on other people’s agendas.
