Leonard Cagno has announced a personal pledge targeting chronic workplace overload caused by poor systems, constant context-switching, and unclear priorities. The initiative draws from aviation, finance, and entrepreneurship principles to promote simple, repeatable behaviors that restore clarity and calm in daily work.
Cagno emphasizes that productivity depends on doing the right things in the right order, not merely doing more. "Whether you're flying a plane or running a business, you need clarity before speed," he says. "You can't panic at 20,000 feet. You rely on training, checklists, and process." He adds that when pressure rises, the response should be adjustment rather than freezing.
The pledge addresses significant workplace challenges. According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of workers report work-related stress, while the World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon linked to chronic workplace stress. Studies indicate frequent task switching can reduce productivity by up to 40%, and employees with clear priorities are more than twice as likely to feel engaged at work.
Cagno believes solutions begin with personal action. "Tools are only as good as the systems behind them," he states. "When you add even a little structure, everything works better." The pledge consists of seven commitments: planning the day before it starts with a priority list; using a 'must do, should do, nice to do' framework; single-tasking for at least 60 minutes daily with notifications off; conducting a weekly review; protecting one daily reset window; documenting decisions and processes; and ending the workday on time at least three days per week.
A free do-it-yourself toolkit enables immediate implementation without purchases. Recommendations include writing tomorrow's top three tasks tonight, turning off non-essential notifications for one hour, creating checklists for recurring tasks, blocking focus sessions on calendars, taking movement breaks every two hours, maintaining a single notes file for decisions, asking "What can I stop doing?" weekly, setting clear work boundaries, and sharing process improvements with teams. A 30-day progress tracker provides structure: week one focuses on setting priorities and completing a weekly review; week two adds single-task blocks and process documentation; week three protects reset time and reduces interruptions; week four involves reviewing results and refining practices.
Cagno, a New York–based business leader and Partner at TEG Health & TEG Wellness, brings experience from aviation, finance, and entrepreneurship to this approach. His career focuses on building clear systems that help people work with intention and calm under pressure, making this pledge particularly relevant for today's stressed workforce.
