The Focused Leader

Adapted from the work of Daniel Goleman Source: Harvard Business Review, Dec. 2013

Focusing…

more than filtering out distractions.

According to neuroscience…

we focus attention in many ways, for different purposes, drawing on different neural pathways.

FAIL TO FOCUS?

RISK BEING…

RUDDERLESS

CLUELESS BLINDSIDE

D

A primary task of leadership is to direct

attention.

Three Targets for Attention

Focus on Yourself

Focus on Others

Focus on the Wider World

Focus on Yourself=Self-awarenessAttend to internal physiological signals!

0 Tune in to your heartbeat – can you sense when something triggers it to speed up or slow down?

0 Listen to your gut feelings – something that “feels” right or wrong can help simplify your decision-making.

0 Zero in on sensory impressions of yourself—be open to honest input. What do others think about you and how do you know? Notice what’s going on around you without judging—just perceive!

0 Develop your will power—stay calm in crisis, tame your own agitation, and recover from defeat.

Focus on Others0Show Empathy0Cognitive Empathy –understanding another’s perspective 0Emotional Empathy– feeling what someone else feels0Empathetic Concern – sensing what another person needs

from you0Build Relationships0Social Sensitivity—instinctively knowing the appropriate

etiquette, putting others at ease, recognizing the flow of personal connections

0Responding promptly to all members of the organization regardless of position

Organizational Hierarchy

Research Study: The longer Person A takes to Respond to Person B, the more power of Person A. Map response times across the organization to discover who is recognized as having power!

Beware the relationship between position on the social ladder and the amount of attention paid!

Focus on Wider World

0Ask questions—be inquisitive.0Explore v. Exploit – to do so means

to be well-rested!0Innovate—remain alert and let your

mind associate freely!

Information “consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”

~Herbert Simon (1971), Nobel Prize winner

attention=most essential skill

Direct attention where you need it when you need it. Learn to master your attention, and you will be in command of where you, and your organization, focus.

~Daniel Goleman

Read the full article:

0Goleman, D. (2013). The focused leader. Harvard Business Review, 91(12), 50-60.