More executives are giving phones and digital detoxes a try. Technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected, but being reachable every minute of the day comes with tradeoffs.

Most leaders aren't struggling to find information. Finding time to focus on it is often the harder part.

Emails, Teams messages, Slack notifications, texts, calendar alerts, and breaking news create a workday built around reaction. The result is that many leaders spend their days responding quickly while struggling to find time for the deeper thinking that leadership requires.

Research by Dr. Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine, found that after an interruption, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to the original task. A few notifications may not seem like much. Over the course of a day, though, those interruptions add up.

After a while, it's easy to see why some people are interested in simplifying. There are only so many times you can be pulled away from a task before it starts affecting how you work.

The Real Leadership Challenge

Most leaders can probably relate. You sit down to work on something important, answer a quick email, get pulled into a meeting, respond to a message, and suddenly, half the day is gone.

• How often do interruptions pull you away from what you intended to work on?
• What happens when a message goes unanswered for an hour?
• When was the last time you had uninterrupted time to think strategically?
• Do people on your team feel pressure to be available all the time?
• What would change if focus was treated as a resource instead of a luxury?

These questions often reveal a gap between how leaders want to work and how they actually work.

Technology is rarely the root issue. Habits, expectations, and organizational culture are usually bigger factors.

It's one reason these conversations keep coming up in leadership development and coaching. Leaders often know they need more space for strategic thinking. The challenge is identifying the behaviors and assumptions that prevent it.

Create Better Thinking with Small Changes

Not every leader is ready to swap a smartphone for a flip phone. But the trend has raised an important question: how much time is actually spent thinking versus responding?

Some organizations are making small adjustments, including:

• Blocking off time for uninterrupted work.
• Putting phones away during meetings.
• Creating clearer expectations around response times.
• Reviewing email at set points during the day.
• Setting aside time to think through decisions before they become urgent.

The changes themselves are simple. The challenge is sticking with them.

Microsoft's Work Trend Index has documented a steady rise in meetings, emails, and online communication, making uninterrupted work increasingly difficult. As communication volume grows, protecting time to think becomes part of the job.

Leaders still need to be responsive. The challenge is making sure every notification, email, and request doesn't consume the time needed for bigger decisions.

Beyond Technology: The Human Side of Leadership

Leadership coaching creates space for reflection that many professionals rarely experience in their day-to-day work. It helps leaders examine how they spend their time, what drives their responsiveness, and whether their current behaviors match the kind of leader they want to be.

Questions like these often come up in coaching conversations:

• What really requires my attention?
• Where am I reacting instead of leading?
• What example am I setting for my team?

The answers can reveal opportunities for growth.

In the end, this isn't really about phones. Technology can help us work faster, but it can't create focus, resilience, sound judgment, or strong relationships.

Organizations will continue investing in new tools and technologies. Leaders can invest in themselves. Self-awareness, healthy habits, and ongoing development can make it easier to navigate complexity, support teams, and make thoughtful decisions when distractions are everywhere.

Behind every leadership challenge is usually a conversation that needs to happen, a decision that needs to be made, or a perspective that hasn't been considered yet. Coaching and leadership development create space for those conversations before the next urgent issue takes over.

At Innovative Connections, our mission is to give voice and action to an emerging future. As a partner in your success, we help leaders, teams, and organizations find their voice, clarify their vision, and identify meaningful actions that create an enduring impact.

If you'd like to learn more about leadership development, emotional intelligence training, team building, professional coaching, or strategic planning sessions, we'd love to connect. Contact us for a free consultation through Innovative Connections or call 970-279-3330.