Leadership in Lean Times: Doing More with Less, Consciously
- Craig Law-Smith
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
After publishing my last article on the importance of setting boundaries for sustained peak performance, I received a number of thoughtful responses. Thank you. Many echoed a common challenge: being asked to do more with fewer resources.
If not managed well, this pressure-cooker dynamic is a one-way ticket to burnout.
But there is another way. Leaders and teams can thrive—even in lean times. It requires intention, clarity, and care.
In this article, I offer two lenses: first from a corporate perspective, then from an individual and personal perspective.
The Corporate Perspective: Focusing on What Truly Matters
“Doing more with less” doesn’t mean stretching everyone thinner. It’s an opportunity to strategically align effort around what truly drives impact—and to consciously de-prioritize the rest.
Look around your organization. What are you working on that isn’t truly productive? Pet projects? Legacy reports? Activities that aren’t clearly tied to strategic outcomes?
Here’s a simple but powerful practice:
Audit your OKRs and KPIs. If you have more than three core objectives, you likely have too many. (At several MNCs I’ve worked with, I’ve seen teams with 30. It doesn’t end well.)
Refocus around 2–3 essential priorities. These are the north stars. Use them to filter what stays and what goes.
Communicate priorities clearly. Let your team—and their collaborators—know what you are focused on, and just as importantly, what you’re not. Give people permission to say:
“Apologies, I’m unable to take that on right now—we’re doubling down in this area. Happy to loop in my manager if priorities need to be realigned.”
This type of clarity reduces friction, protects well-being, and improves execution.
The Personal Perspective: Guardrails, Not Just Boundaries
Personally, I prefer the word guardrails over boundaries. They’re not walls—they’re supportive structures that help you steer wisely through the complexity of modern work and life.
Here are a few foundational practices for individuals looking to thrive while doing more with less:
Train the people around you. Let your manager and peers know what you’re working on—and what you’re not. Make it visible.
Prioritize based on effort, impact, and alignment. Use your OKRs to list projects in order of significance. Share them. Make them transparent.
Be willing to say “no” to say “yes.” If something new must be added, something else must be dropped, delegated, or delayed. When you model this, others start thinking more critically before adding to your plate—and theirs. This is leadership.
Block time—and keep it protected. Train others not to override your deep work time. Schedule your most important work during your peak energy windows. This is your responsibility.
Respond, don’t react. Don’t live in your inbox. Instead, set focused windows—maybe once in the morning and once in the afternoon—to respond to emails and messages. Outside of that, protect your focus.
Invest in your foundation. Dr. Chris Palmer of Harvard Medical School names six core pillars of well-being: sleep, nutrition, exercise, peace, community, and purpose. These are not “nice to haves”—they’re essential to your ability to lead, create, and sustain high performance.
When you care for yourself, you care for the work. When you prioritize what matters, you enable others to do the same.
Saying no is actually saying yes—to yourself, your family, your team, and to a more focused, better-run organization.
Put up the guardrails. They’ll give you a smoother, saner ride—and help you arrive where you want to go, as the person you most want to be.
I’d love to hear how you’re navigating this—what’s helping you lead (and live) well while doing more with less?
P.S. Before you go, what would you say would be of most value to you and your team when it comes to conscious leadership with sustained peak performance?
Warm regards,
Craig
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