As we grow and evolve as leaders our lived experiences shape our thinking, and that evolution leads us to ask different, often better questions.
Our questions shift from “Can I do this?” – because you’ve already proven that you can, to “Can I do this in a way that continues to grow, evolve and last?”
This story isn’t about burnout, it’s about alignment. About leading with energy, not effort. And building something that grows deeper and stronger, not heavier as it scales.
This is Martin’s story.
Martin was doing meaningful work. He was leading a thriving consultancy, mentoring early-stage founders, and staying connected to the operational heartbeat of his business. His clients valued his insight, his team trusted his judgment, and the founders he supported regularly told him how much his guidance helped.
By every external measure, he was succeeding. And yet, there was a quiet question he couldn’t quite silence, like the resonance of a bell after it’s been struck. And that question wasn’t quite settled.
Despite the pace, despite the impact, something felt out of sync. Not wrong, just unresolved.
“I know I’m making a difference,” he said to a colleague one morning. “But I’m not sure I’m making progress, not the kind that builds something lasting.” That thought stuck with him.
The pressure to be everywhere
Martin’s week, like many leaders, was a jigsaw of contexts. Monday mornings in strategy reviews. Tuesday deep in client delivery. Wednesday offering feedback to a founder wrestling with her first major recruit.
It was all good work, all energising, and all purpose-led. But it pulled him in different directions. And more importantly, it left him with a creeping question he couldn’t quite shake: “Is this sustainable? Or am I just spinning more elegant plates?”
He wasn’t chasing hustle, he’d long outgrown that. But he hadn’t yet found a rhythm that let him lead with intention across the different roles he cared about, founder, operator, mentor. That’s when a simple idea helped Martin build a different, more scalable rhythm.
The 10:10:10 Principle
It came in a conversation, one of those unassuming, sideways comments that stick with you long after the meeting ends.
A fellow business leader was explaining how he structured his week: “Ten hours leading. Ten hours operational. Ten hours give back.” Three roles. Three buckets. Thirty hours. Not a rigid framework. Not a perfect formula. But a lens. And that’s what Martin needed most, not another productivity hack, but a way to reconnect time with intent.
What does 10:10:10 really mean?
It’s not a diary template, and you won’t find it in a time-blocking app.
The principle is deceptively simple:
- 10 hours leading: Making decisions only he can make. Shaping vision. Holding culture. Building the future.
- 10 hours operational: Staying close to the business. Not micromanaging, but leading, inspiring and empowering others. Understanding the pulse of the organisation, supporting delivery, and making systems better.
- 10 hours give back: Mentoring, listening, and advising. Helping others grow themselves and their businesses.
That’s 30 hours accounted for, the core of his time. Everything else was emails, travel and slack in the system. It was not about perfection, it’s about priority.
For Martin, that clicked. He didn’t need more time. He needed clearer boundaries around how he used the time he already had so he could feel that the difference he was making was sustainable and evolving.
The resistance: “That’s nice in theory…”
At first, Martin laughed it off. “That’s a nice idea,” he said. “But my week doesn’t break down that neatly.” It rarely does for any of us if we are truly honest with ourselves. A client crisis can blow a hole in your schedule. A team member needs more support than expected. A coaching session runs over because it matters. But the power of 10:10:10 isn’t in rigid enforcement. It’s in the mindset shift. It allows us to ask better questions like:
“If I had just ten hours a week to lead, how would I use them?”
“If I gave myself ten hours to stay close to operations, what would matter most?”
“If I truly honoured ten hours of give-back, where would I show up differently?”
It invites discernment, not more effort, just more clarity. Over six months moving towards this framework, Martin’s mindset shifted to “Now it feels like I can do this in a way that is always growing and evolving”.
Building rhythm, not balance
Balance is a trap word for most leaders. The saying ‘work/life balance’ is fundamentally untrue because it implies everything gets equal weight. That you can be perfectly split between roles without cost or compromise.
Rhythm is different. It’s about sequencing, not symmetry. Martin started small. He marked off three blocks in his week:
- Tuesday afternoons in strategic work with his leadership team.
- Wednesday mornings hands-on with key projects.
- Thursday mornings dedicated to mentoring, no overlap.
Nothing groundbreaking, but enough to tip the week from reactive to deliberate.
He didn’t always hit the 10:10:10 hours exactly, but he kept the principle in view. When one area grew, say operational work, he noticed the trade-off and the flex in rhythm. That awareness alone made his choices sharper. He was no longer looking for balance, he was setting pace.
A quiet transformation
Nine months in, Martin noticed something he hadn’t felt in years – lightness.
He was still full-on, still in demand, but the background hum of unsettledness had quietened because the 10:10:10 principle had done more than shape his week. It had reshaped his relationship with capacity. He could say no with confidence. He could invest deeper in fewer things. He could lead with conviction, because he wasn’t thinly spread across every layer of the business. And perhaps most importantly, he felt he was building something that would last. Not just success, but legacy.
Two years later: The compound effect
It’s been two years since Martin first played with the 10:10:10 principle.
He no longer checks his hours weekly, he doesn’t need to. The structure has become second nature, not a checklist, but a cadence. Like a runner who knows their stride without counting steps. What’s really changed?
His businesses are more stable, and more scalable. He’s no longer the bottleneck. Decision-making has matured across the team, because Martin has been present in the right ways, at the right depth. Clients say the same thing, again and again: “You always seem fully here when we talk. Like we’re the only thing in your diary.” It’s not flattery, it’s feedback. And it’s a direct result of how he now holds his time.
His team feels it too. There’s less second-guessing, more clarity. They say he’s easier to follow, not because he micromanages, but because he leads with presence and consistency. And personally, Martin feels something he hadn’t expected.
He feels proud, not just of what he’s building, but of how he shows up in it.
That itch of unsettledness is long gone. In its place, there’s a quiet sense of rhythm. Not every day is perfect. But the work is more valuable and honourable, and the direction is clear. The foundations are solid, and the impact is no longer fleeting, it’s compounding.
He often shares the 10:10:10 idea with others now. Not as a magic bullet, but just as a starting point. A way to shift the question from “How do I do it all?” to “How do I do what matters, deeply and sustainably?”
Is this Martin’s story or is it part of mine?
I’ll let you decide. But if you know me, you probably already know…
Also, do check out another of my ideas – The 60:20:20 Rule here:
https://mark-jarvis.co.uk/how-to-guarantee-growth-in-your-business/
Mark Jarvis
6x Founder | Interim MD | NED | Coach & Mentor
Author of:
The Very Best Business Handbook You’ll Ever Own
The 63 Point Business Blueprint
Work with me:
I build companies worth owning by supporting owners, founders and leaders to create a scalable business that works without them, Book a call with me here to ask a question and get started.
Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?
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