Spend Your Time Where It Multiplies: Leading with Intentional Investment
Time is one of your most limited resources as a church leader — and one of the easiest to spend poorly. Not because you don’t care, but because you do.
Recently, I talked with a church leader who said, “I’m spending all my time with the people who ask for it, and running out of time for the people who actually need it.” That’s the tension: when our intentions are good, but our investment is misaligned.
The Most Urgent Isn’t Always the Most Strategic
Every leader has felt it: there’s always a person or situation that demands attention now. A conflict. A complaint. A meltdown. And to be clear — sometimes these moments matter deeply. But if your calendar is always filled by who’s yelling the loudest, your ministry will become reactive, not proactive.
You can’t lead well if you’re always playing defense.
This doesn’t mean you ignore needs. It means you prioritize where your presence multiplies, not just where it’s needed.
Invest in Leaders, Not Just Problems
Here’s a principle worth remembering: A 15-minute check-in with a leader today prevents a three-hour blowup next month.
Most of the time, leaders don’t ask for your attention. They don’t demand check-ins. They don’t vent in meetings. But when we consistently overlook them, we miss the opportunity to encourage, coach, correct, and care before they drift, burn out, or disengage.
Your best leaders need your investment, not just your affirmation. If you only coach the people who are struggling, you create a culture where excellence gets ignored and energy gets drained.
And this applies to your staff, too.
How many times do we spend hours “coaching up” someone who is a repeated issue — while giving our top performers a pat on the back and assuming they’re fine?
They’re not always fine. And over time, a lack of meaningful investment can feel like neglect — or worse, like punishment for being good at what they do.
Block Your Best Yes
Here’s where it gets practical: if you want to invest in the right people, you need to protect the right time. That means:
Blocking off calendar space in advance for 1-on-1s with high-capacity leaders.
Setting recurring check-ins with staff you’re developing — even if short.
Leaving margin so that when the urgent arises, your most intentional is already protected.
You don’t have to say “yes” to every meeting — especially if it pulls you away from your long-term priorities. Often, there’s someone else just as capable of meeting the need. And sometimes, when you suggest scheduling it for a later time, you discover the request wasn’t quite as urgent as it first sounded. When we say “yes” every time, it also compounds the problem — people learn that you’ll drop everything for them, and that pattern starts to repeat itself (or even spread). There are certainly times and people we should drop everything for, but that should be the exception, not the rule. If it’s become the rule, it’s time to make some adjustments.
And while we’re on meetings: we often spend more time than we need. Many of us are inefficient, not because we're unproductive, but because we assume every conversation deserves the full block on our calendar.
If it only takes 20 minutes, don’t stretch it to 60. You’re not being rude — you’re being wise.
Stewarding Time Means Using It Well
I’m big about stewardship - and when we talk about stewardship in the church, we usually mean money. But your time may be the most valuable thing you steward. How you spend it signals what you value. Who you spend it with signals what you prioritize.
If you’re constantly overrun by the urgent, it may be time to reassess your rhythms — not just your heart.
Your best people may not be screaming for help — but they’re hoping for it. Don’t wait until they’re burned out or gone to realize they needed more from you.
You can’t give your time to everyone. But you can give it intentionally to the ones who multiply it.