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3d • 🧩 Discussion
⚙️ Extreme Productivity
The Charles M. Schwab and Ivy Lee story is perhaps the most famous productivity tale in modern business history. It highlights how hyper-simplicity often outperforms complex systems.
In 1918, Charles M. Schwab was the president of Bethlehem Steel, one of the largest steel producers and shipbuilders in the world. Schwab was an intense, driven executive who was constantly looking for an edge to boost efficiency across his management team. He arranged a meeting with Ivy Lee, a highly respected public relations pioneer and early productivity consultant.
The Meeting
Schwab brought Lee into his office and said: "Show me a way to get more things done." Lee replied that he could easily increase the company's efficiency if Schwab gave him just 15 minutes with each of his top executives. Schwab asked: "How much will this cost me?" Lee answered: "Nothing, unless it works. Use my system for three months, and then send me a check for whatever you think it was worth to you."
The 6-Step "Ivy Lee Method"
Lee met individually with the executives and taught them a routine that took less than five minutes to explain:
1) End-of-Day Prep:
At the conclusion of every workday, write down the six most important tasks you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six.
2) Prioritize:
Rank those six tasks in order of their absolute importance to the company; not their urgency or ease.
3) Focus on #1:
When you arrive the next morning, pull out the list and immediately begin working on Task #1.
4) Single-Task to Completion:
Work on Task #1 until it is completely finished before allowing yourself to even look at Task #2.
5) Roll Over:
Move through the rest of your list in the exact same single-minded manner. At the end of the day, any unfinished items are moved to a fresh list of six tasks for the following day.
6) Repeat: Do this every single working day.
The $25,000 Check
Schwab and his executive team strictly followed Lee’s advice for the next three months. The results were transformative. The company's productivity surged because executives stopped jumping between minor distractions, eliminated decision fatigue at the start of the workday, and concentrated purely on high-impact projects.
Impressed by the results, Schwab called Lee into his office and wrote him a check for $25,000. In 1918, $25,000 was a staggering sum of money—roughly equivalent to $400,000 to $500,000 today.
Schwab later noted that this simple piece of advice was the single most profitable lesson he had ever learned in business.
Why the Strategy Works
👉 It forces brutal prioritization: By capping the list at six items, you are required to eliminate the fluff and identify what actually moves the needle.
👉 It removes morning friction: Decisions about what to do are made the evening before. You start the morning with immediate execution rather than staring at a screen wondering where to begin.
👉 It enforces single-tasking: Multitasking is a myth; jumping between tasks burns cognitive energy. Working linearly guarantees that the highest-priority objective gets your peak mental focus.
Try it. Then let me know how much this is worth to you.
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⚙️ Extreme Productivity
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