Time is a leader’s most valuable asset, and keeping it under control can be the difference between building an empire and watching it crumble. Forget fancy cars and corner offices. The secret weapon of many successful leaders lies within the humble app. From scheduling power meetings to wrangling to-do lists, we’ve collected insights from 10 CEOs who rely on time-saving time-management apps to stay ahead. Discover the tools that will transform your workday from frantic to fantastic.
Linear.app for sprint management
At Undivided.io, we’re using Linear.app to manage our product and engineering sprints. Now that everyone’s on board, I’m not constantly asking, “Where are we with this?” anymore.
The world has been stuck on Jira, but for us, switching to Linear was a game changer straight out of the box—collaboration has been much smoother, moving everything forward.
As an extra bonus for me, when it’s time to take the board through our Product Roadmap, I don’t bother dressing it up; I just walk them through what’s in Linear.
Seth Besse, CEO, Undivided
Todoist for task delegation
Hustle culture just isn’t for me. The 24/7 grind of my early years of entrepreneurship left me stressed and anxious. After years of dreading my inbox and never-ending to-do list, I knew I needed new systems, and as an admitted tech-head, I found my solutions in an app.
The Todoist app allows me to easily organize my thoughts into actionable tasks. Setting up recurring tasks is so helpful as I continue to streamline and automate my business processes.
The task delegation feature allows me to tag a member of my team, passing along projects and notes without having to bog down their inbox or send a message that gets lost in the group chat.
Plus, I use it to manage tasks in my personal life as well, including delegating to other family members, so that I can stay on top of all the moving pieces in my life.
Meg Wheeler, founder and CEO, Equitable Money Project
Clockify for time-spending patterns
Clockify is my top choice for a time-tracking app. While I’ve tried more expensive alternatives, I keep coming back to Clockify because of its website and app tracking system. Seeing how much time I spend (or waste) on my favorite sites and apps has been a real eye-opener, and other time-tracking apps don’t keep such meticulous records. I like being able to chart patterns and see differences in my day-to-day habits—when I’m trying to make a change, it’s motivating to see how far I’ve come.
One of the first things I did after downloading was set a reminder to limit my time on forum sites like Reddit. What often begins as legitimate research can easily turn into mindless surfing, so having that option really helps me make the most of my online time.
I also like that it can be used seamlessly with my entire workforce. I’m able to see what my team is doing with a simple click, and that allows me to keep eyes on everything all at once. That’s crucial for any busy CEO.
Linn Atiyeh, CEO, Bemana
Monday for project management
If there’s one time-management app my team and I can’t live without, it’s Monday. Implementing a project management tool like it for our marketing completely changed how my team manages projects, and our productivity shot up.
Before Monday, it was a lot of work to keep track of tasks and deadlines and whose project was overdue. It was also difficult to maintain transparency and keep everyone on the same page. Sure, we could do it with spreadsheets, but it was so time-consuming, and it was hard to track changes and shift responsibilities over time.
The impact on our productivity has been huge. For instance, we’ve seen a 60% increase in our published content year-over-year since moving to Monday. It makes collaboration easy and allows our remote team to work together to create content seamlessly, even when they’re all over the world. It’s easier to spot potential roadblocks and keep every aspect organized.
Monday really has been an incredible tool for our daily productivity.
Nick Chandi, CEO and cofounder, Forwardly
Airtable for creativity and efficiency
Airtable has been a game changer for me—it’s like a spreadsheet on steroids. It helps keep everything from daily tasks to big projects super organized and visually appealing, which really amps up our team’s creativity and efficiency. It’s not just about managing time; it’s about making time work for us.
Corey Schwitz, CEO and founder, Skydog Ops
Trello for task management
One time-management app that has revolutionized my daily productivity is Trello. Trello’s intuitive interface and flexible organization system have become indispensable in helping me effectively manage tasks and projects. With Trello, I create boards for different aspects of our business, such as product development, marketing initiatives, and sustainability campaigns.
Within each board, I organize tasks into customizable lists, representing different stages of completion. For example, in our product development board, I have lists for idea generation, design, testing, and launch. The app’s visual layout allows me to easily prioritize tasks, track progress, and delegate responsibilities to team members.
I can add due dates, attach files, and leave comments, ensuring clear communication and accountability across the organization. The success ratio of using Trello for time management and productivity is exceptional, with approximately 93% of users reporting increased efficiency and collaboration.
By utilizing Trello’s features, I have streamlined workflows, minimized delays, and optimized resource allocation, leading to faster project completion and business growth. Its seamless integration into our workflow has transformed how we manage tasks and projects, making it an invaluable asset to our company’s success.
Chaitsi Ahuja, founder and CEO, Brown Living
Any.do for daily organization
I need constant help to organize myself and maintain some discipline. I use Any.do to create recurring task lists or simply set reminders; the usability is great, and it allows me to create notes in those unexpected moments when ideas come up or when I remember something I need to do later. The fact that it’s integrated helps; I can check it on my smartphone or notebook.
Eden Wiedemann, CEO, USEFLOW
Notion as a business operating system
I run a really successful consulting practice and work with some of the biggest brands in the world, but I don’t work 60-hour weeks, and I don’t work evenings or weekends. I take most Fridays off to play Lego with my daughter.
How do I manage this? My secret sauce is using tools and technology to manage my time, prioritize my work, and improve my productivity. Time is my most precious asset, and I try to use it efficiently, so that I can work less and play more.
My favorite tool for this right now is Notion. I use this as the operating system for my business; it captures all of my goals and priorities, aligns my daily activities with those priorities, and works as my content engine to fuel my content marketing strategy.
Notion saves me hours of time each week by reducing my cognitive load and keeping me focused on what’s important.
Joanna Parsons, CEO, The Curious Route
Forest for focus and productivity
I love Forest because it takes productivity to a whole new level by leveraging gamification. The app encourages one to stay focused and productive by planting virtual trees during a work session. When I set the timer within the app, a virtual tree begins to grow, symbolizing my commitment to staying on task and avoiding distractions.
If I navigate away from the app before the work session lapses, the tree withers and dies, serving as a visual reminder of the time I have lost. I earn virtual coins for every successful work session, which allows me to unlock different types of trees and customize my virtual forest.
I noticed a 30%-40% increase in the number of tasks I completed per day since I started using Forest. I love the app because it has partnered with Trees for the Future, making it possible to cash out the virtual coins and have real trees planted on my behalf, my small contribution towards combating the effects of climate change.
Dan Ben-Nun, founder and CEO, Adspace
Athena for delegation
One time-management tool I cannot live without is the Athena Delegation app. It has truly transformed my daily productivity by helping me effectively manage my tasks and responsibilities.
As a CEO, hiring an executive assistant and pairing that decision with this app was pure gold. It allowed me to multiply my productive hours significantly. I share my thoughts through the app, and actions begin to unfold seamlessly within my company.
It’s not just about saving time; it’s also about gaining mental clarity, staying organized, and maintaining a balanced life through daily interactions and clear task delegation.
Aqeel Abbas, CEO, WorkStaff360