Productivity Tip:

Use the 70% Rule

One of the biggest productivity traps is thinking things will be quicker if you do them yourself. That may be true once, but in time, it turns you into the bottleneck for everything.

The 70% rule is a simple shift: if someone can do a task about 70% as well as you, delegate it. It might not be perfect, but it’s good enough, and it creates space for you to focus on the work that actually requires your input.

Research shows that effective delegation not only improves team performance and motivation but also frees leaders to focus on higher-value work where they make the biggest difference. 

So, you know what they say: Progress, not perfection! What tasks are you holding onto that you could hand off to someone else?

Routine Breakdown

Hady Kfoury, Founder & CEO of Naya

The Daily Habits Behind a Fast-Growing Food Brand CEO

This week’s routine comes from Hady Kfoury, a founder scaling a 40+ location food brand. It’s hands-on and intense, and it’s not pretending to be perfectly balanced. That said, there are a few patterns worth borrowing. 

The Routine:

• Gets up at 6am and has a “peaceful hour” before the house wakes up. That includes a short workout and a slow start.
• Calls his mom at 6:50am every morning. “We speak for about five to 10 minutes. My mom is an unbelievable cook, and she’s a great resource when it comes to understanding food trends in Lebanon.”
• Walks his kids to school, then heads to the office. “I refuse to have an assistant and I schedule everything myself. I’m very into routines and habit.”
• Visits one of his restaurants every day to see how things are on the ground. He either goes incognito to evaluate the experience or stops in before it opens. “I try to make it feel like I’m a partner, not the boss. I ask workers if anything is bothering them, how things are moving, and then I do spot checks on food quality and cleanliness.”
• Works 14–16 hours a day while the business is in its growth phase and his presence is crucial. Still, he tries to get home by 7:30pm. “It’s important for me to have dinner with the kids. I try to limit myself to two to three business dinners or events per week.”

Why it works:

• Connecting with family—calling mom,walking his kids to school, and having dinner together—is a key part of Hady’s routine. Research shows that social connections lower anxiety and improve your ability to handle pressure.
• Being on the ground provides a different level of insight. Studies like this and this show that leaders who spend time on the ground spot problems earlier, make better decisions, and build stronger, more motivated teams.
• Hady could switch off more, but he at least draws a clear line around when his workday ends. Protecting his evenings helps prevent burnout and gives his brain time to reset, whether that’s playing chess, reading, or spending time with family.

Hady’s routine is built on control: he owns his schedule, his habits, and how his day unfolds. That’s a strength, but as we said above, knowing when to let go matters just as much. What do you think of his routine?