Sage words from the Sage in Omaha. Try these 2 things today.

Warren Buffett once said: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

On its face, it sounds contradictory. But in that one-liner there’s a mountain of wisdom that many leaders could benefit from. In the modern workplace, there’s no shortage of eager beavers and yea-sayers. How do I know? I’m one of them. People like us are too afraid to say no, too concerned about letting others down; it’s our default response to say yes to everything, a pattern of behavior.

Leadership and busyness

As you climb the ranks in an organization, you get busier. You have more responsibilities with more expectations to perform and grow the business. With that comes the onslaught of requests from other people, both team members and clients. The irony is, the better you are at your job, the more the people will come to you, because of the value you bring.

Alas, it doesn’t take long for the leader to learn that he or she can’t do everything. As Michael Bungay Stanier says in his book The Coaching Habit, “If you’re saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?” It’s simple math: you’ll be overwhelmed and have too much on your plate. This persistent feeling of being “time poor” is a recipe for unhappiness and burnout. In time, you’ll be a worse leader for it.

Take time to prioritize

Saying no is an exercise in prioritization. In busy times especially, leaders will fall prey to what professor Ali Fenwick calls “panic working,” a manic-like state of productivity that we all engage in to help us regain a sense of control. We say yes in the moment, only later to realize that it’s fueling the busyness cycle that’s the problem to begin with.

When busy times hit, all the more reason to carve out time in your schedule for creating a list of what’s to be done. Not all tasks are created equal. Say yes to the projects or initiatives that will take care of the greatest number of items on your list. Say no to anything that doesn’t help you reduce the number on that list.

Empower others to do the work

One of the hardest things as a leader is to give work away when you believe that you could do a better job than the person or people you’ve assigned the work to (whether that’s true or not). But remember, leadership isn’t about holding power — it’s about giving power away.

Saying no and handing over a task or request to someone else is wise decision-making. Not only will it help you keep focus, it will empower your team members and build their confidence to complete work outside their comfort zone.

Say no the right way

There’s a skillful way to say no. You should always think about providing reasoning as to why you’re refusing their request. This gives the person a glimpse into your mindset and assures them that you’re saying no for a good reason. Here are some things you might say:

• It sounds like a great opportunity, but it falls outside my immediate priorities