Focus For Leaders
Business is busy, priorities are plentiful and tasks are taxing – for leaders and those they lead. So, what’s something we believe leaders ought to make a part of their repertoire of skills? FOCUS. Focus is a concentrated interest. It’s about having a clear vision. A specific direction. Identified and outlined priorities. A structure, a way and a movement to follow.
Before becoming a leader, most experience the rat race of efficiency. Churning out as much work as they can, crossing off as many to-do’s as time will allow, and productively managing each and every window of their watch to ensure that they get more work out of the day than those around them. Why is that? Because that’s what is recognized and rewarded in a good, hard worker. Managing one’s time and making the most of it – are high up there on the list of abilities of high performers. But, when you move to being the leader – it’s time to take another look at what your role is all about. And I’d argue that it can no longer be about achieving the most of anything, but that it should be more about accomplishing a focus for everything.
Here’s what I mean. A good leader will see all that needs to be done and immediately start delegating what tasks go to which team – to ensure that everything is covered. A great leader, a SuperSTAR leader, will see all that needs to be done and know where to start – to ensure that the right things are covered. You can start with doing it all, but that’s when things get messy. By knowing where to start, you recruit a level of specificity that will really work to your advantage. Not only that, but it will likely inspire your team.
When working for a leader that is running in various directions, it’s hard to know when and where to follow him/her. But, when a leader is specific, focused and confident about the course ahead – team members can more easily know their roles, measure their progress, and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with working as a team. Compare this to leaders that don’t have focus – it’s hard for their teams to know where they’re at, to know what they’re supposed to do or to collaboratively work with others when everybody is poured out in different directions. Maintain your focus if you want to motivate your followers.
