Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry: Why Presence Is a Leadership Advantage in Communication

Most leaders today are operating in a constant state of urgency.

Back-to-back meetings.
Endless emails.
Constant pressure to respond faster.

And while it feels productive, it’s quietly undermining one of the most important leadership skills: communication.

In a recent episode of Communicast, “Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry: Why Presence Is a Leadership Advantage,” I sat down with leadership coach Brad Farris to explore a powerful idea:

Hurry is the enemy of presence. And without presence, communication breaks down.

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Why Speed Is Hurting Your Communication

In fast-paced environments, communication often becomes reactive.

Leaders:

• Send quick, unclear emails

• Jump between meetings without processing

• Listen just enough to respond

• Make decisions without full context

On the surface, this feels efficient.

In reality, it creates:

• Misalignment

• Rework

• Confusion

• More follow-up conversations

As Brad shared in the episode, when leaders rush communication, they often end up having more conversations, not fewer.

The result is a cycle:

Move faster → Communicate less clearly → Create more work → Feel even more pressure to move faster

Breaking that cycle requires a shift.

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Hurry Is the Hidden Barrier to Great Leadership Communication

Hurry doesn’t just impact your schedule. It impacts how you show up.

When you’re rushed:

• You listen less

• You interrupt more

• You default to surface-level responses

• You miss important signals

And your team feels it.

They may not say it directly, but they experience:

• Less clarity

• Less connection

• Less trust

As Brad emphasized, there is no way to be fully present when you’re in a hurry.

And presence is what transforms communication from transactional to meaningful, especially in leadership communication and high-stakes conversations.

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The Foundation of Great Communication: Presence

One of the most important takeaways from the episode is that:

Great communication starts with great listening. The strongest presenters and leaders understand that active listening is one of the foundations of executive presence.

And great listening requires presence.

When you are fully present in a conversation:

• You hear what’s being said—and what isn’t

• You pick up on tone and emotion

• You ask more thoughtful questions

• You create a space where others feel safe to be honest

That level of attention changes how people respond to you.

They open up.
They share more context.
They align more quickly.

And that leads to better decisions and stronger outcomes.

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The Leadership Cost of Always Being Busy

Brad shared a powerful observation about how many leaders manage their time.

Their calendars look like a “failing game of Tetris”—completely filled, with no white space.

But here’s the problem:

If your job as a leader is to think, decide, and guide others, and your entire day is spent reacting to meetings, you’re not operating at your highest level.

Constant busyness leads to:

• Shallow communication

• Poor decision-making

• Emotional carryover from one meeting to the next

• Reduced clarity and creativity

And ultimately, it impacts how you show up with your team.

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How to Eliminate Hurry in Your Communication

Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less.

It means doing things more intentionally.

Here are a few practical ways to apply this immediately:

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1. Create Buffer Time Between Meetings

Avoid stacking meetings back-to-back.

Use the space between meetings to:

• Capture key takeaways

• Reset your mindset

• Prepare for what’s next

This helps you show up fully present instead of carrying stress from one conversation into another.

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2. Communicate with Clarity Up Front

Rushed communication often leads to vague messaging.

Short responses like:

• “Looks good”

• “I agree”

• “Let’s move forward”

May feel efficient, but they often create confusion.

Instead, slow down and provide:

• Clear direction

• Context

• Specific next steps

As Brad pointed out, the goal is to communicate in a way that reduces the need for follow-up.

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3. Have Fewer, Better Conversations

When you take the time to truly listen and align, you reduce the need for repeated conversations.

Instead of constant check-ins and clarification emails, you create:

• Shared understanding

• Better execution

• Stronger alignment

This is where slowing down actually accelerates results.

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Show Up as Your “Best Day Self”

Another powerful idea from the episode is the concept of your “best day self.”

Think about how you show up on your best day:

• Focused

• Engaged

• Clear

• Patient

Now compare that to your worst day:

• Distracted

• Reactive

• Rushed

• Frustrated

What creates the difference?

In many cases, it’s how your time and energy are managed.

When your day is overloaded and rushed, you’re far more likely to show up at your worst.

When you create space, you give yourself the opportunity to show up at your best.

And that directly impacts your communication.

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A Countercultural Leadership Skill

Slowing down is not easy.

In fact, it’s countercultural.

Everything in today’s work environment pushes us to:

• Move faster

• Do more

• Respond immediately

But the leaders who stand out are the ones who resist that pressure.

They:

• Take time to think

• Listen deeply

• Communicate intentionally

• Create space for better decisions

And in doing so, they build trust, improve alignment, and lead more effectively.

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Final Thought: Leadership Starts Where Hurry Ends

“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.”

It’s a simple idea. But it requires discipline.

Because everything around you is encouraging the opposite.

But when you remove hurry, you create space for what actually matters:

• Presence

• Clarity

• Connection

• Better decisions

If you want to improve your communication as a leader, don’t start with tactics.

Start with this question:

Where is hurry showing up in your day—and what would happen if you removed it?