Time is our most valuable asset. Yet for so many leaders, email is a massive and overwhelming distraction from higher-leverage tasks.

Take this Director I read about on r/consulting.

“I never feel on top of my inbox.”

Sound familiar? I've definitely been there — drowning in a sea of emails, losing track of what's urgent vs. what isn't. It's a recipe for disaster that keeps many talented execs from doing their best work.

Luckily, there were a lot of great responses of people sharing their best email management strategies.

Here are some of the best ones:

1. Route emails you’re CC'ed on into a dedicated folder

Stop treating all emails as equal.

Create a rule that automatically routes emails you’re CC'd on to a separate folder and check it 1-2x per day.

You might be thinking, “but what if I miss something?!”

The reality? If someone really needs your input, they'll contact you directly. Most CC's are just updates that can wait.

2. Label/color-code your emails

While this might sound basic, it can be surprisingly effective.

Assign different labels/colors to different projects or stakeholders.

It'll help you instantly identify high-priority emails without having to open them.

3. Pursue inbox zero

This tip got the most passionate responses in the thread.

Empty your inbox twice a day using the following approach:

1. First pass: Archive or delete anything that doesn't require action

2. Second pass: For remaining emails, either:

   • Handle it immediately if it takes less than 5 minutes

   • Convert it to a task if it requires more time

   • Archive it once processed

4. Don't create complex folder structures

As one respondent brilliantly put it:

"People who file their emails are the same type who eat pizza with a knife and fork."

It might make you feel good to have a bunch of pretty folders in your inbox, but the reality is you’re probably never going to use all of them.

Every minute wasted on email is a minute not spent on higher-leverage work.

These tips aren't just productivity hacks — they're ways for you to unlock time to focus on the things that actually move the needle.

Next Steps

I'm curious: What repetitive work is stealing time from your highest-leverage activities? What clever solutions have worked for you?

Reply to this email with:

• Your role

• Your biggest time-draining task

• Your solution (if you've found one)

• What you were able to accomplish with the time you saved

Your story might be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

Until next week,

David Lobo

Head of Growth, Workmate

P.S. If you know someone who's drowning in email, forward this to them. Sometimes, all it takes is one example to shift our perspective on what's possible.

P.P.S. Ready to take back control of your time? Workmate is an AI-powered Executive Assistant that schedules your meetings, manages your calendar, and prioritizes based on your preferences. Join the waitlist today.