Human excellence is an outcome of absolute attention and total Focus. 'He who cannot focus, Misses the bus'.
Unfortunately, by natural design, the human mind is a wandering gypsy. Multiple thoughts, conflicting emotions many tasks, unlimited questions, timeless reflections and confusing contemplations - all at the same time vying for its preferred attention. A confusing hotch-potch consequently is created in which randomly, some things get done and somethings remain undone.
That certainly can't be helpful. Critical things may remain undone and Insignificant things may get done. Resources thus get misapplied without impact.
Required therefore for Excellence is FOCUS ... which is an outcome of channalised attention and planned action.
Daniel Coleman prescribes 5 lessons to enhance 'Focus' :
•Critical Issues that need to be actioned for success, cannot be left to random chance. It needs Selective Attention
• The selected critical issue for action needs to be aligned & accompanied by the right emotions. If the Critical task is misaligned with wrong emotions, it imbalances & causes distractions to its fulfillment.
• Distracting emotions raised by other simultaneous events occurring need to be suppressed so that they may not succeed in distractracting attention. Once total Focus is given to the Critical tasks, it blocks negative distractions.
• Periodically set aside structured time to reflect on the selected items of FOCUS
• Perfect Practice and Mindfulness (paying Attention to Attention) need to back-up the Selected Critical items till they are actioned and hence fulfilled.
As an effective leader succeeds only if he helps the team to inclusively identify the critical items for action and thereafter energy of the entire organisation is channelised on the areas to ensure unwavering FOCUS.