Time-Management Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All: Why Your Relationship with Time Shapes the Way You Lead

Table of Contents

Introduction: Rethinking Time-Management

Are You In-Time or Through-Time? A Quick Test

What These Two Styles Look Like

Why It Matters For Leadership

So…Which Are You?

Time Management Tools That Suit Your Style

How To Flex Your Style

A Challenge For The Week Ahead

Next Steps

 

Introduction: Rethinking Time-Management

Time-management advice is everywhere, but what if the reason it doesn’t always work for you has nothing to do with discipline and everything to do with how your brain naturally relates to time?

Until recently, I’d been teaching and coaching leaders using every productivity framework and leadership model imaginable. But I then came across a concept from the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that fundamentally altered my perspective on time, leadership, and productivity.

It’s the idea that we each experience time differently, and that these differences silently shape how we work and lead.

Are You In-Time or Through-Time? Try This Quick Test

Let’s make this practical straight away.

Take a moment and physically point to the past.

Where did you point?

If you instinctively pointed behind you, chances are you’re what NLP calls an ‘in-time’ person.

If you pointed to the left, you’re likely a ‘through-time’ person, someone who visualises time in a linear, ordered way.

I first tried this exercise during a leadership programme I ran with 22 managers from across Europe. When I asked them all to point to the past, every single one pointed behind them.

That moment completely threw me.

Why?

Because I would have pointed left, without hesitation.

And that small difference sparked a much deeper realisation about how we each perceive time differently… and how that impacts our leadership, planning, and communication styles.

 

What These Two Styles Look Like

Here’s a quick breakdown:

In-Time Thinkers

• See time as immersive, present-focused.
• The past is behind, the future is ahead, but not necessarily in a neat, ordered fashion.
• Thrive in dynamic, fast-moving situations.
• Often very emotionally attuned to others.
• Can struggle with rigid plans or overly structured tools.

 

Through-Time Thinkers

• See time as a clear, linear timeline.
• Past is to the left, future to the right.
• Love plans, calendars, and long-term thinking.
• Thrive on structure and routine.
• May resist or feel stressed in chaotic or unstructured settings.

 

Why It Matters for Leadership

Understanding your own time orientation, and that of your team, isn’t just interesting trivia. It’s a critical part of effective leadership and time-management.

When leaders operate solely from their own orientation, without appreciating how others experience time, it creates friction. Tasks are misunderstood. People are labelled “disorganised” or “rigid.” Productivity tools feel like a poor fit.

But when you start leading with this awareness, everything changes.

You can:

• Design systems that work for your team, not against them.
• Delegate more effectively based on people’s natural preferences.
• Flex your style under pressure instead of defaulting to type.
• Use time-management tools that actually work.

 

So… Which Are You?

If you’re not sure where you land, ask yourself:

• Do you feel energised by to-do lists, plans, and structure? Or do you feel boxed in?
• When plans go off-course, do you tighten your grip or adapt quickly?
• Do you like seeing the big picture laid out over weeks and months? Or do you focus on what’s most important right now?

You might have a clear preference.

Or you might flex between the two, depending on the context.

And that’s the point: this isn’t about putting yourself, or others, into boxes.

It’s about building awareness and using it to lead more effectively.

 

Time-Management That Suits Your Style

Here are some practical strategies you can use straight away:

Tips For Through-Time People (Planners and Strategists)

#1 Use structured tools intentionally

Tools like Gantt charts, calendars, and OKRs will help you thrive, but don’t let them become a crutch.

#2. Deliberately practise flexibility

Try running a meeting or a day with just a broad objective, not a detailed agenda.

#3. Watch your language under pressure

If you hear yourself saying “stick to the plan,” pause and ask if flexibility might serve you better.

 

For In-Time People (Improvisers and Responders)

#1. Use the 3-3-3 method

• Identify 3 key things on the near horizon you need to plan for.
• Identify 3 priority tasks for today or this week.
• Identify 3 people you need to connect with this week.

#2. Create flexible rituals

Try a 10-minute weekly check-in or a daily voice note review.

#3. Build in a ‘plan moment’

Just a few minutes of intentional planning can prevent reactive overload.

 

Leading a Mixed Team? Here’s How to Flex

Most teams contain a blend of in-time and through-time people. Here’s how to lead well across that mix:

#1. Observe and ask

Pay attention to how people manage time and structure. Or ask simple questions like, “Do you prefer detailed plans, or seeing how the day unfolds?”

#2. Match tasks to preferences

Big-picture planning → Through-time folks.

Crisis handling and people-facing work → In-time thinkers.

#3. Partner intentionally

Combine both types on key projects. One plans, the other adapts. You’ll notice greater balance, reduced tension, and better results.

 

One Final Challenge (For Both Types)

Here’s a practical leadership challenge, no matter your orientation:

If you’re a through-time leader: Let go of the plan once this week. Go minimal and see what emerges.

If you’re an in-time leader: Build a 15-minute contingency plan for one project. Just enough to guide your next steps if things go sideways.

Neither approach is better.

But when you stretch into the other, you grow as a leader.

 

Next Steps

The most powerful time-management tool isn’t a new app or framework; it’s self-awareness.

Understanding your time orientation helps you build systems that energise rather than drain you. It helps you communicate with more empathy, delegate more effectively, and lead more intentionally.

If you’re curious to explore this further, for yourself or your team, I’d love you to join my upcoming open leadership programme.

It’s the same training I deliver in global organisations, now available for individuals and smaller businesses.

Register your interest here.

And I’d genuinely love to know – did you point behind you, or to the left?

Drop me a message or comment and share your orientation.

Your coach,