The Quiet Power of Clarity: Why Product Leaders Should Ruthlessly Prioritise

In a world of constant distraction and demand, clarity is a competitive advantage.

For product leaders, this isn’t just about personal productivity—it’s about team performance, business outcomes, and long-term focus. At its core, clarity is a leadership skill. One that’s underrated, underpracticed, and urgently needed.

That’s why I believe in—and live by—the principle of To Do, Doing, Done. It’s deceptively simple, but radically effective.

The model is straightforward: you maintain three columns. One for things you might do (To Do), one for the small number of things you’re actively doing (Doing), and one for what’s actually finished (Done).

The real power lies in how you use it. I limit my “Doing” column to three things. That’s it. Whether I’m a CEO, advisor, or team lead, I force myself to confront trade-offs. If something new needs attention, something else must be paused. It’s not rigid—it’s deliberate.

This framework works at scale too. At Guild, when we were navigating AI integration, revenue growth, and platform stability, the temptation was to chase every opportunity. But by ruthlessly limiting what we focused on at any one time, we shipped faster, created better outcomes, and improved morale. We tripled revenue—not by doing more, but by doing less, better.

The clarity you create as a leader cascades. When you know what matters, your team knows what matters. Meetings get shorter. Work becomes purposeful. Progress is measurable.

Clarity also builds trust. People don’t want to follow someone who appears busy. They want to follow someone who seems in control—of their priorities, time, and decisions. That sense of calm in chaos? It starts with knowing what’s in your “Doing” column.

And here’s the truth: your backlog will never be empty. That’s fine. That’s normal. The job is not to do everything—it’s to do the right things, right now.

So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t ask: “How do I do more?” Ask: “What do I need to stop?”

Clarity isn’t a luxury. It’s your job.