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Leadership Takes Focus
by Veronica Sheehan, SVP of Network Operations, Turner Entertainment Group
November 18, 2008
I
n my last blog entry I shared with you the first few things of the 15 I believe you need
to know, understand and act upon to be successful leader.
Here is No. 3: Work smartly. Prioritize and focus your efforts and set direction for yourself
and others.
Internationally acclaimed motivational speaker Mark Sanborn states in his book "You Don't
Need a Title to be a Leader" that focus is one of the six principles of Leadership. He says
"focus and determination trump brains and brawn every time." If you read my previous blog
about not having to be "the smartest" to be an effective leader, you know I agree with that
statement.
We have so many priorities handed to us professionally that it causes conflict and stress in
so many ways. If you focus on doing the most valuable tasks - you will see success
faster. Focus means to do a variety of things - it means to concentrate, to direct, to
converge - if you motivate your team to focus on what has the most value, you will help alleviate
stress and get them achieving their goals.
I once had a boss who was known for not helping his leadership team focus. I remember
thinking. "Here he is our coach standing on the sidelines watching all of us run around the field
bumping into one another and he's not calling the play." We were getting nothing accomplished
because he wasn't setting direction. Your job as the leader (as the coach) is to help your
team prioritize efforts and work together to achieve them. Call the play when it needs to be
called!
You may be asking, "What if I am not at a level to set the ultimate direction, what do I do?"
My answer: ask for guidance. When you get to the senior levels of your company you are
compensated to know and set the course. When you are climbing the ladder there are often a
number of tasks thrown at you from several directions. Ask your boss, your clients and your
colleagues what they consider a successful outcome - know your critical success factors. Even
the most important leadership role in the world - the President of the United States - has a
cabinet that helps him set direction!
Leadership takes focus; take the time to focus efforts and remember not to let your team run
around that field not understanding what needs to get accomplished.
The opinions expressed by Veronica Sheehan and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) or any employee thereof. TBS, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied in Atlanta Woman magazine blogs.
