The ability to clarify your thoughts is an important leadership characteristic. Many effective leaders can be even more successful if they not only zero in on the subject (focus) but crystalize their thoughts to create better clarity.
This is especially important when you’re trying to make a decision. The more clarity of thought, the more likely you can be firmly decisive. Here is a simple formula to follow for achieving greater clarity.
Attention is possibly our most important currency today. You need to pay attention to both the big and little things. Even if you are not detail oriented, when you pay attention to details it can make a difference between an average job and an outstanding one. The expression, “it’s all in the details” takes on fresh meaning in these situations. Consider these examples:
The executive who isn’t clear in his instructions but expects his assistant to know precisely what he has in mind. The assistant books his travel and then he reprimands her because it wasn’t the exact schedule that he wanted (which he, of course, never mentioned).
This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, when more than 160,000 Allied troops invaded Normandy at Omaha Beach, marking a huge step towards the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Very few of us will ever face the task of strategizing something the scale of the D-Day invasion, let alone leading such an event. It’s worth learning about or refreshing your memory on D-Day to envision the scope and understand how everything converged.
I was in a ride-sharing car with a timid driver (not a pretty sight in New York City!) in heavy traffic. I heard a siren closing in on us, and we were pulled over by a policeman. He admonished the driver for running a red light, took the driver’s license and registration, and disappeared into his patrol car for 17 minutes.
He gave the driver a ticket, as was totally predictable, but on lesser charges which should have been good news for the driver. But for the rest of the ride, the driver obsessed over the ticket and didn’t pay attention to doing his job. He behaved like a victim and spewed anger for the rest of the ride.
There is nothing better than planting yourself in the sand with the sun beaming down and waves crashing against your feet. Until of course, your email dings, your phone buzzes, and your head is filled with worries about how work is going in your absence.
As Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, this topic is top of mind. Many leaders are reluctant to take off a few days or even a week for vacation because they fear what might happen in their absence. Here are some tips for effective coverage so that you can enjoy your time away.