Are you using your attention wisely?
As leaders, attention often dances on a tightrope, balancing between the internal workings of our organization and the demands of the external environment. It’s a balancing act that demands awareness and agility, but many leaders need help finding that balance.
Internally, our attention can easily be consumed by the day-to-day operations: pursuing goals, handling conflicts, navigating personality clashes, and chasing deadlines. Externally, we may find ourselves lost in a sea of information, bombarded with extraneous information that is neither relevant nor helpful.
Balancing our attention between internal and external matters can be challenging for many leaders.
If you’re locked in on internal challenges, you’ll need more external awareness to innovate, meet market demands, and generate new business opportunities.
If you’re fixated on what’s happening externally, you’ll end up detached from the people and the processes that keep your organization running smoothly.
I recently shared a video about this on Instagram, and you can check it out by clicking here. Follow me on Instagram for more quick tips, and leave a comment if it resonates with you.
A Significant But Subtle Shift
Shifting our attention between the internal and the external is a capability that leaders must master.
How can one shift between the internal and external?
- Pay Attention to Your Attention: Regularly assess where your attention has been and adjust as needed. Are you too inward-focused? Or perhaps too caught up in external matters?
- Allocate Attention: Allocate specific times for internal and external focus. This could be daily, weekly, or even monthly, depending on your role and the organization’s needs.
- Discard Distractions: Recognize your day is littered with distracting desires that will tug at your attention. If your attention wanders, you’ll reduce your ability to get the right things done.
- Trust and Teamwork: Empower team members to manage certain internal aspects, freeing you to focus on external matters. Trust is critical here.
Pivotal Resources
Here are a couple of resources that can offer further insights into this balancing act:
The Focused Leader – An insightful article from Daniel Goleman and the Harvard Business Review.
The Pivotal Factors for Effective External Engagement – An excellent article from McKinsey that talks about the importance of focusing on external engagement.
Remember, where we place our attention ultimately shapes our actions and achievements. To be highly effective, you must be adaptive, aware, and astute in shifting focus where and when it matters most.
All the best,
Matt
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