5 Quick Ways to Build Leadership Skills in 30 Minutes a Day

Swap your doomscrolling or social media browsing for meaningful conversations and “passive” upskilling in your feed

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You don’t need to have all the time in the world to grow and develop yourself professionally, or to be ready for leadership and management promotions.

In fact, you likely don’t have all the time in the world anyway.

You’re busy juggling several responsibilities in your personal life, your family, and at work, and upskilling takes significant time.

Or does it?

If you’re hoping to secure a promotion at the end of this year or next year, or simply want to equip yourself with leadership skills so you can be best prepared for the future of work and AI, there are several ways you can achieve this goal without spending hours each week studying a degree or expensive university certificate program.

Although those are certainly helpful, there are loads of budget-friendly, less time-consuming options so you can upskill without the financial or time-constraint burden.

How To Upskill In Less Than 30 Mins/Day

Here’s how you can get in your 30 mins or less of upskilling so you can develop a growth mindset each day, contribute more meaningfully to your work, and raise your income potential and exposure to lucrative career opportunities with leadership skills:

1. Listen To Podcasts

Listen to HBR’s podcasts (for example Dear HBR, or Ideacast). Find other leadership, business, and podcasts that inspire you too.

2. Follow Industry Publications And Writers

Subscribe to, and follow, writers and thought leaders in your industry, on leading publications: right here on Forbes (of course), the Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, as well as industry-specific publications like AdWeek, The Drum, etc. for marketing (as an example).

You can also spend a few minutes each day reading thought leadership articles and blogs on LinkedIn, Medium, or Substack (more on that below).

3. Customize Your Socials

Customize your LinkedIn feed and notifications, by strategically connecting with industry experts, adding them to your network, and tapping the bell on their profiles so you can get notified as soon as they post.

4. Tailor Your Google Feed

Customize your Google Feed, particularly the Discover page, by following specific websites that are leading in your field and that offer practical advice and tips. You can also select topics you’re interested in, (for example, AI, tech, entrepreneurship) and Google will update your feed and push notifications regularly with relevant experts and news on these topics. This reduces you from scrolling and browsing the web or social media endlessly and getting caught up in content that doesn’t serve you or your career and personal growth.

The average person spends more than two hours scrolling through social media (that’s regardless of how busy they are), according to Statista, so if you can customize your social media feeds and connections, that makes your time online worthwhile and profitable. This strategic move already contributes half an hour (or however long you spend on social media) to your personal growth plan to develop leadership skills.

5. Use Book Summary Apps

Another way you can learn and develop leadership skills when you have limited time, is to use apps like Headway or Blinkist, which provide AI-powered book summaries so you can understand key book concepts in the form or digestible nuggets, and implement them throughout your work day. These books range in topics, from productivity, to tech, to communication, to business growth.

You don’t need more time. You just need to leverage the time you already have. Through inexpensive resources like the ones listed above, networking, and swapping out doomscrolling time for upskilling, you can proactively equip yourself with essential leadership skills, align yourself for a promotion, and be ready for what lies ahead.

If you enjoyed this article, check out 6 Leadership Qualities You Need To Bag A Promotion In 2025.