I’m increasingly convinced that the key “superpower” for leaders going forward is the ability to focus. Focus is key to each of these:
- Staying calm in the swirl and making good decisions
- Sufficient time-on-problem thinking to generate breakthrough solutions
- Listening to others deeply (including what is not being said)
- Absorbing complex information and acquiring new skills
- Discerning signal in noisy environments
There is very little in our modern culture which helps you focus. The powers-that-be often benefit when you’re distracted and occupied with minutiae. I like Chuck Palahnuik’s insight:
“Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn’t watching. He’s singing and dancing. He’s pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you’re awake. He’s making sure you’re always distracted. He’s making sure you’re fully absorbed. He’s making sure your imagination withers. Until it’s as useful as your appendix. He’s making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it’s worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what’s in your mind. With everyone’s imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world.”
The three best modern books I’ve read about focus are:
Deep Work (Cal Newport)
Indistractable (Nir Eyal)
Essentialism (Greg McKeown)
However, books only take you to the brink of experience.
There are some helps: Close your email (or work offline), turn off notifications on your phone, rearrange meetings so you have blocks of time, find a working environment where you won’t be interrupted, take 3 minutes for deep breathing to calm your mind, set a timer for X minutes and work until you hear it go off, etc.
Fundamentally you must practice and develop your ability to focus for longer periods of time. It’s worth the effort.
