Mayor Mike made me move.

I interviewed Michael Bloomberg on camera for a corporate video a few years before he became mayor of New York. The video was for a health care company that was profiling leadership styles across industries.

After the video crew finished setting up in a corner of his company’s headquarters, Bloomberg’s handlers brought him to the set and introduced us. Following brief pleasantries, we had this exchange:

“Let me take 5 minutes to give you an overview of what we’re trying to do,” I began. He stopped me: “Make it 30 seconds.” In fact, 30 seconds was enough for me to provide the relevant context. I could have filled five minutes, but there was no need.

That lesson stuck with me. By challenging myself and others to keep it short, we can focus on what's most important and help save our most precious resource: time.