May 1, 2025
by Aidan Sullivan
In a world of constant demands and distractions, being organized is often the key differentiator between success and failure. As a leader, the ability to juggle multiple responsibilities without losing focus is a skill that can make or break both us and our organization.
Reflecting on my own journey, from balancing college commitments to leading within my fraternity and ROTC, I’ve come to realize that the most impactful leaders are not necessarily the ones with the most talent, but those who can maintain order amidst the chaos. The three strategies of organizing our mind, space, and people can help any leader arrange their world and work with purpose.
We Need a System
Upon stepping into university life, I thought I’d have it all together. I was organized in high school and figured I’d stay that way on campus. But I quickly realized that the relentless pace of college was getting to me, and my performance started to spiral. In high school, every day was structured with the same five to seven classes; it was “rinse and repeat.” But college was a different beast. Every professor ran their course differently, classes were spread across campus, and I felt more disconnected from classmates and professors alike.
My mind became overrun trying to track assignments, figure out what to prioritize, keep up with fraternity events, meet ROTC requirements, and still squeeze in the kind of experiences I thought defined college. My space, both physical and digital, was the most cluttered it had ever been. My desk was a mess, my phone was constantly buzzing with reminders, and my room collected dust from weeks of neglect. The people around me were relying on me when I wasn’t sure I could even rely on myself.
I needed a system. What emerged was a clear approach: organizing my mind, my space, and my people. That’s what changed my life.
Organize Our Mind
Effective leadership begins with mental clarity. Many of us are balancing exams, work, training, and social responsibilities, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s where structured planning becomes our secret weapon. I use digital calendars, checklists, and time-blocking to break days into manageable pieces. These simple tools give our brains breathing room to focus on what matters most.
One theory that really helped me was the Eisenhower Matrix, which separates tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither. President Eisenhower once said, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” Applying this helped me stop reacting to everything and start working proactively.
But organizing our minds isn’t just about apps and frameworks, it’s about sanity. I found that short naps between classes, lo-fi background music while studying, and even taking a moment to clean my space helped reset my brain. Sometimes clarity comes from a checklist; other times, it comes from just stepping outside for a few minutes to breathe.
Organize Our Space
A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. I used to work in piles of textbooks, notebooks, cords, and snacks, all stacked on my desk and oozing out of drawers. It was chaotic, and honestly, it mirrored how I felt internally. That’s when I realized I couldn’t organize and hence lead effectively without a clean surface to work under my full control.
It wasn’t about having a Pinterest-perfect desk; it was about having a space where I could think clearly. Even something as small as making my bed in the morning gave me momentum. I found that when my environment was in order, I was a better communicator, teammate, problem-solver, and friend.
Inspired by minimalist principles, I created specific draws and binders, one for schoolwork, one for ROTC, and one for Phi Psi. I reorganized my folders on my laptop and finally cleaned out the random files in my Downloads. It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave me mental breathing room. Unfortunately, I may be organized with how and where everything goes, but as I do better and gain more responsibilities, it’s impossible to be perfectly organized and not cluttered in some manner. But the more organized the space, the more organized the mind.
Organize Our People
Even the most organized mind and space can’t carry the weight of leadership alone. I used to think being a leader meant doing everything myself and being the “face” of the organization. But that quickly led to burnout. What changed everything was learning to trust others and delegate.
I leaned into the Situational Leadership Theory, which taught me to adjust my leadership based on where team members were in their development. In ROTC, that meant delegating tasks to confident and competent people and trusting them to do it. In my fraternity, it meant coaching or supporting a younger member to organize an event based on their skills, even if I could’ve done it faster myself.
What surprised me was how much relief I felt. I moved from doing to mentoring. When I let people shine in their own way, not only did the team grow stronger, but we had more fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves more. We bonded over late-night planning sessions and laughed through our mistakes. Leadership wasn’t just about being efficient, it was about creating a group that actually wanted to show up and do the work together.
Organization is Foundational
By organizing our minds, our spaces, and our people, we build a strong foundation for leadership success. These strategies aren’t just theory, they’ve helped me stay focused and effective in the face of constant demands. Whether we’re leading a team or simply managing our own responsibilities, the war for organization is real, but victory is achievable. When we lead with mental clarity, physical intention, and collaborative structure, we grow, not just as individuals, but as a team.
Aidan Sullivan is a Reynoldsburg, Ohio native, son, and sibling to veterans. He is a third-year University of Akron student in Mechanical Engineering Technology. He holds leadership roles across the campus to include Army ROTC, Vice President of Judicial Affairs for the Interfraternity Council, an active member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and former executive board member and was the Lead Powertrain Designer for the Zips BAJA team. Aiden plans to commission as an active Army Engineering Officer serving in an Arctic unit.
Click here to sign up for The Maximum Standard’s weekly email where you’ll get a leadership vignette delivered for free every Tuesday morning!
We’re always looking for authors. We coach first time authors (and anyone) through the writing process if you need a little help. It’s worth taking the first step and showing interest.
The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Army or the Department of Defense.
The Maximum Standard 