The Real Cost of Time: A Leadership Lesson from an Uber Ride
After landing back home in Toronto from a speaking engagement in New York, I grabbed an Uber from the airport and started catching up on the emails I had missed. About ten minutes into the ride, I lifted my head and noticed that we were driving down the local streets of Rexdale instead of the express toll highway, the 407. That small moment turned into a lesson about the value of time in leadership and what it means to make choices that truly align with our priorities.
The Cheaper Route and the Value of Time in Leadership
As leaders, we make choices every single day about how to spend our time and resources. Sometimes we think we are saving money, but what we are really doing is spending time we cannot get back. That’s where the value of time in leadership becomes clear. What looks like a small financial choice can have a much greater emotional or relational cost
The Uber driver assumed that saving a few dollars mattered most to me. He was operating based on what “most people” prefer. But his assumption wasn’t aligned with my priorities. What I valued was arriving home sooner, not arriving home cheaper.
The same thing happens in leadership. We often let other people’s assumptions, expectations, or fears influence our decisions. We follow the familiar route because it looks efficient or sensible, even when it doesn’t align with what truly matters to us.
The “cheaper” route isn’t always cheaper. It can cost you energy, clarity, and the opportunity to focus on what’s most important.
Leadership Is About Alignment, Not Efficiency
Leaders are constantly balancing cost, time, and values. The best leaders don’t just ask, “What will this cost?” They ask, “What will this cost me in time, energy, and alignment?” When you understand the value of time in leadership, you start making choices that serve both your goals and your well-being.
When you lead from alignment, your decisions reflect your values. You stop measuring every decision by money or convenience and start measuring it by meaning. That shift changes everything.
If you’re taking the longer, slower route simply because someone else told you it’s cheaper, it might be time to stop and ask yourself a few questions:
- What matters most to me right now?
- Is this choice in alignment with my priorities?
- Am I operating on my own assumptions or someone else’s?
- What is the real cost of this decision?
These questions can help you reframe the way you think about value and time.
A Personal Reflection for Leaders
That night, I finally made it home—later than I wanted to, but with a new insight that has stayed with me. It reminded me that the value of time in leadership isn’t theoretical; it’s deeply personal. As leaders, we are always at a crossroads. One path might look efficient on paper, but the other aligns more closely with our values. The difference between those two choices determines the kind of leader we become.
The real cost of that Uber ride wasn’t money. It was time. And for me, time with the people I love is priceless.
Coaching That Helps You Prioritize What Matters Most
At Frame of Mind Coaching®, we help leaders slow down and take a closer look at how they think, decide, and lead. Through powerful conversations and journaling, we help you identify your priorities and align your choices with what truly matters to you. We help executives recognize the value of time in leadership and use it to make better, more intentional decisions.
If you’ve been choosing the “cheaper” route—avoiding tough conversations, delaying meaningful work, or sacrificing your well-being—it might be time to look at the true cost of those decisions.
Let’s explore what leadership looks like when every choice reflects your values, not just your schedule or your budget.
Talk to a coach today and start making decisions that honor your time, your energy, and your life.
