The Tools Got Faster. The Bottleneck Got Tighter.

Q2 arrived with the same backdrop most of us have been navigating — costs up, cautious hiring, prospects taking longer to decide. As a result I’m seeing a lot of smart leaders quietly pulling more onto their plates right now.

I understand the instinct. When things feel uncertain, staying close and absorbing the work feels like the responsible move.

LEADERSHIP REFRAME

That instinct comes from a good place. You care about the outcome. You know the work.

Our 2026 data reveals that this same instinct is shared by more than a third of leaders, whom we categorize as “Time Optimists.”

Optimistic by nature, they keep believing capacity is just around the corner. (Guilty!) ✋

They take on more, commit to more, and genuinely believe next quarter will be the one where things finally open up.

Layer the ferocious speed of output from AI on top of that, and it compounds the work volume. More tools, more inputs, more outputs to review — all still funneling through the same person who was already at capacity before the AI arrived.

NOTICE THIS WEEK

Pay attention to where AI is adding to your plate instead of lifting from it.

If you're reviewing more, approving more, and deciding more than you were six months ago — the tools aren't the problem. The delegation system underneath them is.

That's exactly what Eileen Coombes is breaking down on April 17th.

TRY THIS

Join us for a free masterclass on April 17th at 12PM ET — Built It, Bottlenecked It: How AI + Delegation Finally Break the Cycle

45 minutes + live Q&A. You'll walk away with a clear picture of what you should stop owning, what AI can absorb right now, and the delegation framework that makes AI tools actually create leverage inside your firm.

Helping you lead with less,

Emily