Focus, Focus, Focus : Could that focus be learned? Could it be harnessed?
For the longest time I wondered about the intense focus you need to succeed in all walks of life.
I knew it was required, but after that I had all kinds of questions.
Could that focus be learned? Could it be harnessed? Must it be limited to just one thing?
Or would it be better to concentrate on multiple related variables. (Sales and marketing. Research
and development.)
In recent years, neuroscientists have done a great deal of research in the area of attention,
some of it covered in the book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, by Daniel Goleman,
a psychologist who popularized the early research on emotional intelligence.
When it comes to business, Goleman wrote, the most successful people have, “a triple focus.” Specifically, they exhibit:
The world in general, and competition in particular, requires you to constantly change and adapt. An outer focus is mandatory.
Goleman’s three traits were evident in my interactions with extremely successful entrepreneurs over the years and my own experience in creating new companies and projects. And what I particularly like about Goleman’s conclusions is that he is saying the focus that the most successful people exhibit is more than simple tunnel vision—what most people think is required to be successful.
Tunnel vision implies you are concentrating on just one thing, such as what you need to do to make your company successful from a marketing point of view.
As Goleman points out, you need to do more: focus on figuring out where your employees fit in; keep an eye on the competition; track changing customer sentiment. You also need to make sure that you are the right person to be making the necessary decisions in all these areas. (You may not be.) This multiple focus can be learned.
According to Goleman, neuroscientists have found that the ability to focus attention “works much like a muscle—use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows” and the ability becomes stronger. That, of course, allows you to focus even more.
So, focus can be learned… if you focus (on learning it).
Greatest Thoughts from: Michael W. Sonnenfeldt is the founder and chairman of TIGER 21, the premier peer-to-peer learning network for high-net-worth first generation wealth creators. He is the author of the book Think Bigger: and 39 Other Winning Strategies from Successful Entrepreneurs.
When it comes to business, Goleman wrote, the most successful people have, “a triple focus.” Specifically, they exhibit:
- An inner focus: self-awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. In other words they know who they are and what they are good at—and what they are not good at.
- An other focus: attending to the needs of people around them, particularly their employees and customers. This is important because, invariably, creating anything new requires the help of others.
- An outer focus: keeping an eye on what’s happening in the world that might require a change in business strategy, or even a rethinking of your entire business model.
The world in general, and competition in particular, requires you to constantly change and adapt. An outer focus is mandatory.
Goleman’s three traits were evident in my interactions with extremely successful entrepreneurs over the years and my own experience in creating new companies and projects. And what I particularly like about Goleman’s conclusions is that he is saying the focus that the most successful people exhibit is more than simple tunnel vision—what most people think is required to be successful.
Tunnel vision implies you are concentrating on just one thing, such as what you need to do to make your company successful from a marketing point of view.
As Goleman points out, you need to do more: focus on figuring out where your employees fit in; keep an eye on the competition; track changing customer sentiment. You also need to make sure that you are the right person to be making the necessary decisions in all these areas. (You may not be.) This multiple focus can be learned.
According to Goleman, neuroscientists have found that the ability to focus attention “works much like a muscle—use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows” and the ability becomes stronger. That, of course, allows you to focus even more.
So, focus can be learned… if you focus (on learning it).
Greatest Thoughts from: Michael W. Sonnenfeldt is the founder and chairman of TIGER 21, the premier peer-to-peer learning network for high-net-worth first generation wealth creators. He is the author of the book Think Bigger: and 39 Other Winning Strategies from Successful Entrepreneurs.
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