Leadership Lessons:Falling Behind is Not Leadership Failure
If you feel like you’re falling behind, you’re not alone. Today’s high performers face overwhelming expectations and countless distractions that simply didn’t exist in previous generations. Know this: falling behind is not leadership failure. Here are a number of triggers that can make you feel as though it is.
Your inbox is never empty.
In 2024, the total number of business and consumer emails sent and received daily is expected to reach over 375 billion[1]. The average professional now sends and receives nearly 150 emails per day[2]. If each email averages 250 words, you’re reading and writing over 37,000 words—equivalent to a 150-page business book—every single day[3].
To keep up with this volume, you would need to spend at least 3 to 3.5 hours just reading and responding to emails[4]. Every minute you devote to email is time taken from deep work, personal development, or even rest. No wonder you feel behind.
You haven’t read the latest leadership insights.
There are over 100,000 leadership books available on Amazon today[5]. The average business leader is expected to stay on top of hundreds of reports and articles from major consultancies.
For example, McKinsey’s recent “State of AI 2023” report spans over 100 pages, requiring approximately 2-3 hours of focused reading[6]. Research from learning science shows that effective reading comprehension requires multiple exposures and active engagement with material—simply consuming content doesn’t translate to long term retention [7].
You can’t optimize every aspect of your life.
The global wellness market reached $6 trillion in 2023 and is projected to reach $8.5 trillion by 2027[8]. The lifestyle of wellness gurus demands a level of control and rigidity that doesn’t translate to real life, especially if you have kids.
When you’re raising a family, the daily chaos of practices, homework, and unexpected needs disrupts the rigid schedules these experts rely on. Real life is unpredictable. It’s messy, and you can’t always maintain an ideal sleep cycle or perfect workout regimen when your child needs help with homework at 9 p.m. or when soccer practice runs late.
You feel like you’re failing as a parent.
Parenting has changed dramatically over the years. Time-use studies show modern parents spend significantly more time with their children than previous generations[9]
. In 1965, fathers spent an average of 2.5 hours per week with their children, while by 2016, that figure had risen to 8 hours per week[10]. The trend has continued upward, with the most recent data showing fathers now averaging nearly 9.5 hours per week in direct childcare activities[11].
In a comprehensive 2023 study, 62% of U.S. parents reported experiencing high levels of stress related to balancing work and family responsibilities[12]. The demands of modern parenting are fundamentally at odds with the model of success in today’s workplace.
You can’t keep up with the latest news.
Over 5 million blog posts are published every day[13]. In 2024, the average internet user creates more than 2 MB of data per second—equivalent to over 170,000 MB daily[14]. A recent analysis of digital content consumption found that the average knowledge worker encounters over 100,000 words of information per day across all digital channels[15]. The sheer amount of content released daily is designed not just to inform but to capture your attention, expose your insecurities, and sell you solutions.
Keeping up with the latest from every industry expert would require 40+ hours a week of reading, but the real challenge is that most of this content is meant to make you feel like you’re not enough.
The Bigger Picture
You aren’t falling behind because you’re failing—you’re falling behind because the game has changed. The average leader today deals with five times more information daily than just a few decades ago. It’s an information avalanche, and it’s not easy to fight your way out to breathe. The world moves at breakneck speed, and we haven’t adjusted our expectations accordingly.
Feel like you’re failing? Falling behind is not leadership failure.
The pressure you feel to keep up isn’t a reflection of your ability—it’s the result of an information-saturated world that is constantly moving faster. You’re not supposed to keep up with everything. It’s okay to let some things fall by the wayside.
Focus on the areas and people that truly matter. Clarify what you value most and be okay with the fact that you won’t be perfect at everything. You’re likely performing at a level that far exceeds what previous generations could have imagined, and falling behind is not leadership failure. It’s time to believe that.
[1] Statista “Email Usage Statistics – Global” (2024) – www.statista.com/statistics/456500/daily-number-of-e-mails-worldwide/
[2] Radicati Group “Email Statistics Report, 2024-2028” (January 2024)
[3] Average business book length based on industry standards from the Publishers Association Digital Sales Monitor (2023)
[4] Adobe Email Usage Study 2023, showing average professional email engagement time of 3.1 hours daily
[5] Amazon.com Books Category Data (accessed October 2024)
[6] McKinsey Global Institute “The State of AI in 2023” (December 2023)
[7] Dunlosky, J., et al. (2023) “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques,” Psychological Science in the Public Interest
[8] Global Wellness Institute “Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023” (December 2023)
[9] Parker, K., et al. (2023) “Parenting in America Today,” Pew Research Center
[10] Bianchi, S. M., et al. (2022) “Historical Changes in Parents’ Time with Children,” Journal of Marriage and Family
[11] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “American Time Use Survey” (2023)
[12] American Psychological Association “Parental Stress Study” (2023)
[13] WordPress.com Usage Statistics (2024)
[14] Domo “Data Never Sleeps 9.0” (2024)
[15] IDC “Digital Universe Study” (2024)