Fourth Quarter 2014- Issue 18
Note from Coach Mario- At the End of the Day- “Where Your Attention Goes, So Does Your Energy”
As a leader it is vital that we are aware and stay in-tune with where our attention is spent. Because, where your attention goes, your and your organization’s energy goes too. As one reviews the end of a year and evaluates where the attention has been spent, one can see the effects of the energy that followed. This is clearly evident in the results achieved. Where sufficient attention has been spent, most likely sufficient energy has been expended. The attention and energy manifest themselves in the extent that expectations set at the beginning of the year were unmet, met or exceeded.
Undoubtedly, any given year will present its set of opportunities and obstacles. In Daniel Goleman’s book, “Focus”, he writes, “Directing attention toward where it needs to go is a primal task of leadership. Talent here lies in the ability to shift attention to the right place at the right time, sensing trends and emerging realities and seizing opportunities.” The key is whether our attention has stayed committed to what is most important. If one has, then taking advantage of the opportunities will have one’s attention properly focused and appropriate energy expended. If one allows the obstacles to derail and take our attention away from what is important, then the energy that follows will not be properly channeled. This is one of the principle benefits of looking at where an organization stands throughout the year and not waiting for a year-end look at the results. Making the mid-course evaluations and corrections, while ensuring that both the attention and the energy that follows are on what is most important is vital. For example, if “keeping your eyes on the customer” is an important area to keep attention and energy on, then the challenges that may come around to distract can be minimized or eliminated by seeing how attention and energy spent on the customer have manifested themselves in the customer results at critical points in the year, i.e. monthly, quarterly.
The Idealized Influence element of Transformational Leadership is where the leader’s actions speak louder than words. If the leader’s attention and energy is not expended in actions that are said to be the most important, then the credibility of the leader is diminished. Just as it is important to clearly communicate and set the expectations effectively at all levels in the organization, where the actual attention is spent and the energy that goes with it is where the rubber hits the road.
As you, the leader, evaluates the organization’s results, whether at mid-year or at year-end, honestly assess whether your attention’s focus and energy spent was appropriate and sufficient to achieve or exceed expectations.
–Mario Flores
Mario Flores. All Rights Reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
