Time is a CEO’s most limited resource
Time is a CEO’s most limited resource — mismanaging it slows progress, clouds priorities, and compounds mistakes.
PepsiCo Beverages North America CEO Ram Krishnan treats time as a portfolio. He divides every waking hour into five color-coded buckets — operations, people and culture, long-term strategy, learning, and relationships — then audits the allocation every other month.
This isn’t an exercise for show. It’s a system for sharpening judgment that:
• Ensures the business gets attention — without neglecting team development or long-term growth
• Reserves time for strategic planning — even when daily fires compete for focus
• Makes trade-offs visible — revealing what’s over-weighted, under-resourced, or out of sync
At Eagle Talon, we view time allocation as a window into leadership discipline. A CEO who manages hours with the same rigor as capital is one worth watching.
🔗Read the full article: A Top Pepsi Exec Says He Organizes Every Hour Of His Day In A Color-coded Pie Chart And Audits It To Ensure He's Efficient