fbpx

SEARCH

Search

Explore

Blog
Podcast
Free Live Event
Self-Assessment
Manifesto
Book

Work with me

Connect

SUBSCRIBE

Search
Close this search box.

Your relationship with focus

Focusing hurts.

Especially for people who deeply care about what they do and who spend what feels like every waking hour thinking about their idea.

Part of the reason why they are so good at what they do is that they care for the details. They pick up every stone and look behind every corner.

What they find can be fascinating, sometimes opening up a whole new branch of possibilities.

For these people, it can hurt to let go of these possibilities.

And yet, it’s essential …

  • for yourself, so you don’t loose yourself in the details and get distracted with stuff that would ultimately lead you off track,
  • for your team, so everyone’s pulling in the same direction which allows you to build something extraordinary that you can actually be known for,
  • for your audience so that they can have a position in their mind that they know you for and can pass that story along.

Nevertheless, it hurts.

Which is why it takes courage. The courage to make a choice: What exactly is the focus?

One realization made the choice easier for me: The fact that if you don’t choose, someone else will.

It could be your team, your customers, your audience.

Or it could be time.

Basically, if you’re not making the choice you’re delegating it.

That’s not what I want.

What’s your relationship with focus?

Shortcuts

Great communication tends to be simple.
Not trivial, not simplistic, but profoundly simple.

Trivial messages take us nowhere.
Simplistic ones take us to the wrong places.
Profoundly simple ones light the path to unexpected places.

Both, trivial and simplistic, try to remove or replace the complexity. They pretend that things would be simpler than they actually are (which in the best case is mostly harmless, but in the worst case could be dangerous). They cut the conversation short and offer conclusions without the hassle of having to think it through.

Profoundly simple means something different.

It does not replace the complexity.
It makes it accessible.

It doesn’t aim to end the discussion but to spark the curiosity that allows the conversation to start and go deeper.

Can you tell your story in a profoundly simple way?

The tough questions

If you take communication seriously it will lead you to confront the tough questions.

What’s the point?
Who are we doing it for?
What are their struggles?
No, really … what are their struggles?
Why would that excite them?
And many more … 

The people for whom communication means checking a box and filling out a template or two … they are easily satisfied with lazy answers to those questions.

But when you take communication seriously and try to come up with words that are truly yours, words that can only describe you, it will lead you to the core of what you do.

And that can often feel like we’ve shifted to a much deeper level of cooperation. More than once, it has led clients to reconsider their strategy, their marketing, even the way they run meetings … 

But it’s a side-effect.
I’m just helping you to find the right words.

A Superpower

Almost nothing is important.
And yet, the Universe is on a mission to make us believe it was.

If you’re leading an organization, you’re bombarded with tons of information and decisions and each one of ’em likes to suggest that it’s rather important.

But from a distance, in that huge pile of stuff, most things aren’t that big a deal. Don’t you agree?

That email? It can wait.
That third bullet point on slide 15? Nobody would have missed it.
That new study that’s all over social media? It’s not even relevant to our scale.

To say it straight: Most things are utterly unimportant.

Treating them as if they were important distracts not only you but the whole team from what really matters.

I think that’s one of the main aspects of lighting the path. To arrive at a clear (and joint) understanding of what’s truly important and what’s not.

So that you can focus on the former and keep the latter from distracting you.

Once you become used to it, it can become hard to bear it when people obsess over unimportant stuff.

Now, this may sound like you wouldn’t care for the details and only the big picture. But I think it’s the opposite.

When the detail matters, you deeply care for getting them right. It’s going to make a huge difference.

But if you let the details of stuff that doesn’t even matter distract you, well it’s going to hold your team back from making a difference.

The Simplicity Initiative

Recently at Confused Corp, they launched the ‘Simplicity Initiative’.

In a team meeting, one brave soul asked, “What’s the goal of this initiative?”

The manager, shuffling through a stack of papers, answered, “It’s simple – to reduce complexity.”

As hands shot up with questions, he added, “Don’t worry, there’s a 10-part webinar series and a 500-page handbook explaining it all.”

The room groaned in unison, realizing the ‘Simplicity Initiative’ was anything but simple.

Unlocking complexity

Simplicity is not the opposite of complexity. It’s the prerequisite.

Deep inside, complexity is terrified of simplicity. It fears that simplicity would strip away the depth of a complex topic.

But that gets it upside down: it’s through simplicity that we unlock complexity.

Simplicity is the key that opens the door to deeper understanding. Without this entry point, complexity can be an inaccessible fortress.

But simplicity does more. It doesn’t just make complexity accessible; it ignites the curiosity and ambition to enter complexity and go deep into the fortress.

True sophistication in communication means inviting your audience, not excluding them.

Simplicity is that invitation.

It doesn’t make complexity go away.

It’s the key to unlocking complexity so that it feels simple.

It’s a sign of respect for your audience.

The Painter’s Overcorrection

Imagine a painter working on a portrait. He’s unhappy with the way the eyes look, so he adds more colors, trying to capture the right shade. Unsatisfied, he then paints additional lines and shadows, hoping to give them depth. The more he adds, the further the eyes drift from his vision. Frustrated, he keeps piling on strokes, shades, and highlights, making the eyes busier and less lifelike.

A fellow artist, seeing his struggle, takes another canvas and paints the same eyes with just a few confident, well-placed strokes. The result? A clear, vivid, and lifelike pair of eyes.

The original painter’s instinct was to add, thinking more detail would solve the problem. In reality, the simplicity and clarity of fewer, well-placed strokes made the difference.

It’s a cliché but it’s true: less is often more.

In our rush to communicate, our instinct is to pile on words and ideas, thinking it’s better. It’s not. One strong argument that sticks easily beats 10 weak arguments that our audience forgets.

Strip it down and keep it simple, subtract the non-essential and amplify the essential …

Your message will be so much clearer.

Different answers

If you asked every member on your team where they think you’re headed, how many different answers would you get?

When was the last time you asked?

If they asked you, what would you respond?

PS: May I ask you a favor? Respond to this post with a single number, the number of sentences it took you to answer that question.

A bit of a mess

You’ve started with the best of intentions. You’ve chased opportunities and kept doors open. You’ve been a good listener and tried to fulfill the wishes of your customers and your team.

But then – before you even notice it – you find yourself in a bit of a mess. Initiatives begin to overlap, priorities clash, and what was once a structured strategy begins to resemble a haphazard scramble.

You’ve committed to one “yes” too many. You’ve crossed the line to becoming aimless. You’ve essentially become lost.

When leaders frequently bypass saying “no”, they inadvertently plunge their teams into a whirlpool of confusion. Each “yes” is not merely an affirmation; it’s a commitment of time, energy, and resources.

Worse, this inability to set boundaries and make selective decisions blurs the team’s vision. Instead of a clear path lit by intention and strategy, the route becomes foggy, littered with detours and distractions. The light that should guide the path dims, causing uncertainty and doubt to creep in.

For some, saying “no” feels easy. But for most of us, it’s not. But leadership is not about embracing every opportunity. It’s about making choices that align with the team’s vision. Saying “no” is an instrument of clarity that allows teams to focus on what truly matters and keep the light focused on their path.

Choosing “no”

A “no” to excessive jargon is an embrace of clear, straightforward language that every listener, regardless of their background, can understand.

A “no” to redundant meetings is a commitment to purposeful collaboration.

A “no” to information overload is a commitment to prioritize, ensuring clarity over clutter.

A “no” to lengthy emails signals respect for the recipient’s time and attention.

A “no” to generic statements is a push for specificity, ensuring that feedback, directions, and insights are meaningful and actionable.

A “no” to speaking without listening underlines that everyone’s on the team for a reason.

A “no” to speaking for the sake of speaking ensures that when words are spoken, they carry weight and relevance.

“No” is a choice.

In the vast sea of words and information, sometimes what you choose not to say or include makes what you do communicate all the more powerful. As leaders, embracing these principles can elevate our communication, making every interaction more meaningful and impactful.

Keep lighting the path!

Spread the Word

Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz