The biggest productivity gains rarely come from adding more—they come from removing what no longer serves you. Productivity expert Donna McGeorge calls this “red brick thinking”: identifying what can be removed to create space for better decisions, clearer priorities and more meaningful work. 

Donna is an international speaker and bestselling author of 15 books. Her practical approach to reclaiming time has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fast Company. 

Donna explains why “addition bias” keeps organisations overloaded, how reducing meetings and protecting thinking time improves performance, and why the greatest gift you can give your future self is removing the red bricks that no longer belong. She also shares why leaders should aim to operate at 85% capacity instead of 100%, how to build room for better thinking, and why creating space – not filling it – is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills of all. 

Takeaways  

• Stop adding solutions before asking what can be removed instead first. 
• The best productivity gains come from strategic subtraction, not constant addition. 
• Protect thinking time because busy leaders rarely make their best decisions. 
• Too many meetings often reveal low trust rather than genuine collaboration needs. 
• Operate at 85% capacity to create room for unexpected challenges daily. 
• Creating space is becoming one of today’s most valuable leadership advantages everywhere. 
• Your future self will thank you for removing unnecessary red bricks today. 
• Artificial intelligence saves time only if you intentionally protect that newfound space. 

Follow Donna McGeorge
https://donnamcgeorge.com/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamcgeorge/ 
https://www.instagram.com/ 

Donna’s books
https://donnamcgeorge.com/books/
Red Brick Thinking: Make Space. Find Focus. Move Forward 
The ChatGPT Revolution 
The 1 Day Refund: Take Back Time, Spend It Wisely 
The First 2 Hours: Make Better Use of Your Most Valuable Time 
The 25 Minute Meeting: Half the Time, Double the Impact 

Books recommended 
It's Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-track Your Success https://link.amazon/B0exg5l0Z 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

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