Between back-to-back meetings, urgent emails, and project deadlines, leadership can feel like a constant state of reaction. You’re putting out fires, solving problems, and managing crises, but somehow the bigger picture keeps slipping away. Sound familiar?
Six months ago, I introduced a simple practice to a struggling team leader named Sarah. She was working 60-hour weeks, her team was missing deadlines, and employee satisfaction scores were at an all-time low. The solution wasn’t more time or resources—it was a five-minute daily practice that fundamentally changed how she approached leadership.
The practice is deceptively simple: Every morning, before checking email or diving into tasks, spend five minutes asking yourself three questions. What is my team’s most important outcome today? What obstacles might they face? How can I best support them in achieving success?
These aren’t abstract questions requiring lengthy analysis. They’re practical prompts that shift your mindset from reactive to proactive. Instead of waiting for problems to surface, you’re anticipating needs and positioning yourself as a resource rather than a bottleneck.
Sarah’s transformation was remarkable. Within three weeks, her team noticed the difference. She was more present in conversations, quicker to remove barriers, and better at connecting daily tasks to larger objectives. Project completion rates improved by 40%, and employee engagement scores jumped significantly.
The power lies not in the specific questions, but in the intentional pause. Those five minutes create space between stimulus and response. They remind you that leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions and creating conditions for others to succeed.
This practice works because it aligns with how our brains process information. The morning reset primes your reticular activating system to notice opportunities for support and connection throughout the day. You become more attuned to your team’s needs because you’ve consciously directed your attention toward them.
Try it for one week. Set a calendar reminder for five minutes before your workday officially begins. Ask the three questions, jot down brief notes, and notice what shifts in your leadership approach. The smallest changes often create the biggest impact.
