While the ARE team is on a summer break, we're publishing some of our most popular posts from the past year or so. This one was originally published as "Four Signs That You've Lost Focus" in December 2009.
One of the things people tend to do when circumstances feel out of control is to focus on stuff that doesn’t matter. The US is in the worst recession in modern times, engaged in two wars (one of which appears to be escalating at a rapid pace), debating a major change in the way health care happens, trying to figure out what to do about climate change, blah, blah, blah, blah. And the biggest story for a lot of people is whether or not Tiger’s wife was chasing him with a golf club because she was tired of him chasing other women?? Yes. Faced with really complex issues, it’s a lot easier to let yourself get all worked up about issues that aren’t. But this is a dangerous distraction, kind of like fiddling with the radio while careening down the highway in the middle of a blizzard. And when leaders do it, the result can be fatal for an organization.
How do you know if you’ve lost your focus as a leader? Here are four big warning signs:
- You can’t remember the last time you even thought about your purpose, guiding principles, or strategic directions–much less used them to help you, your team, and/or your organization make a decision.
- Your back is raw from all the time you’re spending on the ropes, in a defensive position, getting pummeled by the anxiety and fear of people in your organization (or your own).
- You rarely end the day feeling “done” because there are so many things that get in the way of doing what you really needed to do.
- Everything seems like a crisis.
Don’t let the Tiger Woods syndrome undermine your leadership. The organization you care about needs you to stay focused on the things that really matter.
What do you need to do to regain your focus?
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We'll be back with brand new posts after our summer break ends on August 9th. If you have to work while we're away, work playfully!
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