The wisest leaders I know are relentless focusers. Or, RE-focusers.
These leaders understand that their personal time, energy, and resources are finite. They know full well that they cannot do everything, meet with everybody, read every book, invest in every project, or attend every meeting.
Thus, these wise leaders decide with laser-like clarity the most important things in need of their attention (the late Stephen Covey described them as “the BIG rocks”) and they relentlessly focus and re-focus on those elements of highest import.
The words, the calendars, the schedules, the efforts, and the expenditures of these wise leaders send an undeniably clear message about what they deem important.
Failling to do so is what former Secretary of State Colin Powell describes as “mission creep,” the inevitable dilution of our impact and effectiveness when we allow the myriad competitors for our attention to de-focus us.
Time to (re)FOCUS?
Likely. Always.
*To read more of nc’s blatherings, go to www.nelsonwcoulter.com
Nelson Coulter
Nelson Coulter has held a lot of titles: rancher, educator, author, musician, entrepreneur, coach, mentor, consultant, and professor. He has coached, taught, and been published in many settings. He has served in public schools of all shapes, sizes, and contexts. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Louisiana State University - Shreveport. His most cherished titles, however, are the ones not attached to career identity: son, husband, dad, and granddad.
