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Prioritization in leadership: walking the tightrope between too much and too little

Have you ever seen a leader who tries to prioritize every task for their team—only to create chaos? Or one who avoids prioritization altogether, leaving teams to guess what really matters?

Both extremes are surprisingly common in organizations, and both lead to the same outcome: teams that feel frustrated, disconnected, and unsure if they’re doing the right work.

As leaders, prioritization is one of our most important responsibilities, but it’s also one of the hardest to get right. Done poorly, it either smothers teams with micromanagement or leaves them adrift in ambiguity. Done well, it creates clarity, alignment, and focus.

I’ve seen this tightrope walked poorly—and successfully—throughout my career. Below are three common mistakes, supported by examples, and actionable insights for striking the right balance.

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mistake 1: over-prioritization (or, “everything is priority 1”)

the problem

At one company, a manager handed 10 teams a priority list where everything was marked ”Priority 1.” It seemed like a good way to emphasize urgency, but it created chaos.

Team A prioritized bug fixes, Team B rushed to deliver a massive new feature, and Team C felt stuck—unsure which “Priority 1” was actually most important. The result? Teams worked in silos, overall progress slowed, and leadership ended up micromanaging everything to compensate.

One developer summed it up perfectly:

“If everything is Priority 1, nothing is.”

what’s the fix?

Prioritize outcomes, not tasks. For example:

• “Over the next six months, deliver [specific features] to customers A and B.”
• “Focus on improving customer retention by fixing recurring issues.”
• “Lay the groundwork for automation to boost long-term efficiency.”

These clear outcomes give teams the direction they need while allowing them the flexibility to figure out the best way to achieve them.

key takeaway

Leadership isn’t about controlling every detail. It’s about setting a clear direction and trusting your team to get there.

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mistake 2: under-prioritization (or, “the handwave”)

the problem

In another organization, a team asked upper management, “What should we focus on this quarter?” The response: “Just make sure we don’t fail the audit.”

This vague answer left the team adrift. What mattered most? Delivering features? Improving processes? Preparing for a major client demo? Without clear priorities, teams defaulted to what felt easiest, leading to wasted time and missed opportunities.

what’s the fix?

Be specific about what success looks like. Even if you don’t have all the answers, provide a framework. For example:

• “Our goal is to reduce time-to-market for new features by 20%.”
• “Let’s deliver X and Y to customers A and B to improve retention.”

key takeaway

Ambiguity breeds inaction. Even partial clarity is better than none.

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mistake 3: ignoring technical debt

the problem

Technical debt is like a hidden tax on productivity. I once saw a team propose a major system overhaul to address years of accumulated inefficiencies. Leadership responded, “We trust you to figure it out,” but provided no resources or alignment with company goals.

The team, left unsupported, couldn’t balance the overhaul with their regular workload. The project stalled, and the debt grew worse.

what’s the fix?

1. Empower teams to handle smaller fixes. Developers can manage minor refactors or cleanups as part of their regular workflow.
2. Collaborate on major initiatives. Larger projects, like rebuilding a core system, require alignment between leadership and teams. Leadership must ask:
   • “How does this align with long-term goals?”
   • “What trade-offs are we making by tackling this now?”

key takeaway

Technical debt is a shared responsibility. Support your teams with resources and strategic alignment.

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personal reflection: what I’ve learned

I’ve learned that prioritization isn’t about creating a perfect list of tasks. It’s about creating clarity and alignment. As a leader, your role is to:

• Share the why behind priorities.
• Empower teams to decide the how.
• Provide support for big-picture challenges like technical debt.

When teams ask me, “What should we prioritize?” my response is always:

• “Here’s what we need to achieve and why. What do you think we should focus on?”

This approach fosters dialogue, builds trust, and empowers teams to take ownership of their work.

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what about you?

What’s been your biggest challenge with prioritization? Have you faced these traps—or found ways to avoid them? Let’s discuss below!

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