As the owner or leader in your business, you go to a LOT of meetings.

Do the following exercise: Calculate how many meetings you go in a day, and then add up how many that is in a full year?

For example, four meetings a day could add up to 1,000 meetings a year.

How many meetings is too many?

If you are in sales, or managing a huge team, you may need that large number of meetings – or more.

But if you are the owner, a 1,000 meetings a year would seem like too many to be productive.

Here is an example to make the point.

Consider the music and TV mogul, Simon Cowell, creator of American Idol,  X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

He doesn’t sit in endless production meetings, nor is he running from one brainstorm session to another.

Instead, Simon shows up where he personally can have the highest impact—on camera, meeting with talent,  shaping the show’s direction. Then he’s out.

He delegates the rest to the producers, coaches, and crews he trusts.

The result? He built an empire working on the big stuff—his brand, his shows, his deals.

Ok, so maybe you are not Simon Cowell. But you can still focus on the  “big stuff” in your own business.

The Problem with Too Many Distractions

When you’re in constant meetings, or handling lots of small tasks, or constantly getting interrupted – your day gets chopped into little pieces.

That’s what you need to avoid, if you are going to think deeply, and work at your highest and best level.

One Thing Per Day—The Simon Cowell Way

Simon Cowell has a philosophy of never multi tasking.

Instead he dedicates his time to doing the one thing that matters most each day. Whether it’s signing a new artist, shaping a finale performance, or negotiating a record deal, he dives in deep.

You can do the same:

• Pick one main focus per day—a strategic hire, a major client pitch, a key financial review.
• Give it your full attention. No multi-tasking. No “just checking email.”
• Trust your team to handle the rest.

Cut out the distractions and low-value work that others should be handling.

How to Cut Down on the Meeting Load

1. Empower your team—Push decision-making down. Give them authority to act without waiting for you. And if your present team cannot handle that responsibility, then its time to upgrade your team.
2. Reduce direct reports. If you have too many one on one meetings, you may need to delegate some of your direct reports.
3. Set boundaries—Have closed door time where no one can’t reach you and your phone is turned off.
4. Make every meeting count—When you do show up, make sure there is a clear agenda, defined outcomes, and a hard start and stop time.

Your Challenge: Make a big change in where you spend your time.

Simon Cowell is living proof that you don’t need 1,000 meetings a year to build or run an empire.

You need clarity, the courage to focus, and the discipline to say “NO”.

If you want to lead like a star, start choosing the moments where you can have maximum impact—and leave the rest to your trusted cast and crew.

Caveat: what seems highest value today will change over time, and become low value later on.

So as you grow, keep delegating.

That’s how you go from managing chaos to producing hits.

You got this!

Regards, Jeffrey Scott

P.S. Last chance, literally, to join us for our Summer Growth Summit. It’s next week!