Unexpected Margin

Dear Uncommon Leaders, 

How's your summer going? I hope you are having a great and productive one!

Be intentional in your leadership this week! Let's go be uncommon! ⤴️

This Week's Question:

How can you use unexpected margin?

This Week's Challenge: 

Every now and then, a leader finds themselves with margin—an unscheduled block of time: no meeting, no pressing deadline, just… space.

What we do with that time matters.

I was discussing this recently with a client and we identified a few ways leaders can “spend” unexpected margin:

1. We can waste it.

Humans are great at wasting time—myself included. Without a plan, unexpected time can easily vanish into mindless scrolling or distractions. That’s why it’s helpful to decide before the margin shows up how we’ll use it.

2. We can invest it in others.

A coaching call of mine got rescheduled last week, giving me an unexpected hour. I used it to catch up with a teammate—and that hour turned out to be incredibly valuable. I gained insight, strengthened trust, and made a meaningful deposit into the relationship.

When extra time pops up, ask: Who could benefit from a conversation with me right now?

3. We can invest it in ourselves.

Sometimes the best use of margin is rest. Other times, it’s getting back to that podcast, finishing a chapter in a book, planning meals, or squeezing in a workout. Small actions can refuel us and move us forward.

Your challenge this week:
Create a “margin plan.” Decide now how you’ll use unexpected free time when it shows up—because it will. And when it does, you’ll be ready to use it wisely.

Here’s to a week of fruitful leadership and intentional influence.

This Week's Quote to Ponder:

"The spaces in our schedule can be some of the most sacred—if we choose to use them well." - Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy

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Until next week,

LET'S GO BE UNCOMMON!

W. Kevin Harrison

Founder and Executive Coach

Uncommon Influence

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