Why Leaders Should Rethink Productivity: Lessons from My Lunch Walks
Productivity isn’t a 9-to-5 formula, and the best leaders embrace unconventional work styles to maximize creativity, impact, and team performance.
In an era where productivity is often measured by hours logged and tasks checked off, we risk overlooking the true drivers of creative breakthroughs and meaningful work. Throughout my career, I’ve come to realize that productivity doesn’t always look like someone hunched over a desk from 9 to 5. Sometimes, it looks like a long walk in the middle of the day—or even someone seemingly disengaged, only to deliver brilliance in the quiet hours of the night.
This realization came to me through a habit I’ve maintained for years: my lunch walks. What started as a way to stretch my legs became an essential part of my problem-solving process. These walks weren’t just about physical movement; they were about creating mental space to think deeply and creatively. And they taught me lessons that have fundamentally shaped how I lead teams and approach work.
The Power of Stepping Away
One of my most memorable experiences with lunch walks came during a particularly challenging project. I was tasked with designing a multi-layered analysis engine capable of handling hundreds of millions of complex calculations. The sheer complexity was overwhelming, and I found myself taking longer and longer walks—sometimes lasting 1.5 to 2 hours.
At first glance, this might have seemed like procrastination or avoidance. But in reality, those walks were where the real work happened. Away from my desk, free from distractions, I could untangle the complexities in my mind and approach the problem from new angles. After a few weeks of this routine, I delivered a platform that exceeded expectations—one that could handle the immense scale and complexity required.
Ironically, just as I was wrapping up this achievement, I was called into my boss’s office: “We need to talk about your lunches—they’re getting really long.” It was a classic case of misreading the situation. Far from being unproductive, those walks were the key to solving one of the most challenging problems I’d ever faced.
This experience taught me that productivity isn’t about how much time you spend at your desk; it’s about creating the conditions for your best work to emerge.
Lesson 1: Productivity Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
One of the biggest myths about productivity is that it looks the same for everyone: sitting at a desk, working steadily from 9 to 5. But creativity and problem-solving don’t follow a clock or fit neatly into predefined schedules. For me, walking unlocked my best thinking. For others, it might be something entirely different—working late at night, brainstorming on a whiteboard, or even spending time in silence.
Research backs this up. A study by Stanford University found that walking boosts creative output by an average of 60%. Similarly, companies like Google and IDEO have embraced unconventional approaches to foster creativity—whether through walking meetings or flexible work environments that encourage deep focus and exploration.
As leaders, we need to recognize that people’s best work often happens outside traditional boundaries. Instead of forcing everyone into the same mold, we should celebrate and support their unique ways of working.
Lesson 2: Leaders Must Enable Flexibility
A leader’s job isn’t to enforce conformity; it’s to create an environment where people can thrive in their own way. This means giving your team the tools, trust, and flexibility they need to perform at their peak—even if their methods look unconventional.
I once managed an engineer who spent most of their day reading at their desk—a behavior that might have raised eyebrows in many workplaces. But come nighttime, they would enter a flow state and produce incredible results between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., bombarding our team with notifications as they committed pull request after pull request.
Instead of trying to force them into a traditional schedule, I worked with them to accommodate their natural rhythm. We adjusted deadlines and communication norms so they could do their best work without disrupting the team’s overall workflow.
This approach aligns with findings from Deloitte’s research on workplace flexibility, which shows that employees who feel trusted and empowered are more engaged and productive. By focusing on outcomes rather than rigid processes, leaders can unlock their team’s full potential.
Where RTO Mandates Miss the Mark
Unfortunately, many organizations are moving in the opposite direction by enforcing rigid return-to-office (RTO) mandates that fail to account for how work has evolved—and what employees truly need to thrive.
Let’s start with geography: Over the last few years, companies hired talent across broader geographic areas as remote work became normalized. Today, many teams are no longer centrally located in one city or region; they’re distributed across time zones and continents. The idea that bringing people back into an office will somehow recreate pre-pandemic collaboration misses this fundamental shift. If your team isn’t physically co-located anymore—and most aren’t—what exactly is being gained by forcing people into offices? The whole point of being in the office was collaboration, yet for many teams today, collaboration happens online regardless of location.
Then there’s the issue of environment—and frankly, this is where many RTO policies feel downright punitive. Too often, employees returning to offices are relegated to hot desks where they can’t even personalize their workspace or create any sense of ownership over their environment. Add open-office floor plans into the mix—chaotic spaces filled with noise and distractions—and you’ve removed any chance for deep thinking or focused work.
And let’s not forget some companies’ baffling decisions not to provide basic amenities like free coffee or snacks for employees coming into the office. Really? You’re asking people to commute—often at significant personal expense—and then making them pay for snacks? It’s hard not to see this as tone-deaf at best and disrespectful at worst.
These missteps send a clear message: RTO mandates are more about control than productivity or employee well-being.
Lesson 3: Measure Output and Impact Over Process
At the end of the day, what matters most is results. Did the project get delivered? Did it exceed expectations? Did it drive value? If so, does it really matter whether someone solved the problem at their desk or while pacing around outside?
Too often, organizations focus on how work gets done rather than what gets accomplished. This mindset stifles creativity and discourages employees from experimenting with new ways of working.
Consider companies like Basecamp or Automattic (the creators of WordPress), which prioritize results over hours worked or methods used. These organizations have embraced asynchronous work models that give employees complete autonomy over how they structure their days—as long as they deliver high-quality outcomes.
As leaders, we should take inspiration from these examples and shift our focus from micromanaging processes to enabling impact.
Practical Takeaways for Leaders
If you’re ready to rethink productivity within your organization or team—and avoid falling into RTO pitfalls—here are some actionable steps you can take:
Encourage Experimentation: Create a culture where employees feel safe trying new approaches to work—whether it’s taking walking meetings or shifting their schedules to align with their natural rhythms.
Focus on Results: Define clear goals and metrics for success but give your team autonomy over how they achieve them.
Model Flexibility: As a leader, demonstrate that unconventional methods are not only acceptable but encouraged by sharing your own experiences—like my lunch walks.
Invest in Environment: If you’re asking employees to return to an office, make sure it’s worth their while: provide comfortable spaces for focused work (not just open floor plans), allow personalization of desks if possible, and yes—offer free coffee and snacks.
Listen and Adapt: Regularly check in with your team to understand what helps them perform at their best—and be willing to adjust your leadership style accordingly.
Redefining Productivity for the Future
The world of work is changing rapidly, driven by shifts in technology, culture, and employee expectations. As leaders, we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to redefine what productivity means in this new era.
It starts with recognizing that great work doesn’t always happen at a desk or during standard office hours—and it certainly doesn’t require rigid RTO mandates that ignore how teams actually function today. By embracing flexibility and creating environments where employees feel supported—not controlled—we can unlock creativity, innovation, and impact like never before.
So next time you see someone doing things differently—whether it’s taking an extended break or working odd hours—pause before you judge. You might just be witnessing their version of a “lunch walk,” where brilliance happens outside the box.And if you’re lucky enough to lead them? Your job is simple: give them what they need and get out of their way!