In this post, I discuss ways to improve your leadership performance as an executive director through the three C’s: Concentration, Clarity, and Centering.
1. Improve Performance through Concentration
Concentration and focus are closely related. Concentration is the act of paying attention to something. Your focus is the thing you’re paying attention to.
Being able to focus and concentrate on the things that matter most at any particular time is an important leadership skill.
Your focus can be broad or narrow, internal or external. In a meeting, you could focus on where someone is looking as they speak (narrow and external) or you could focus on the overall ambiance of the room (broad and external). You could focus on the pain in your arm (narrow and internal) or how you feel about the subject being discussed (broad and internal). In order to improve your leadership performance, spend time on “focus awareness” during your day. Be aware of things that are distracting you.
When focus and concentration are missing, performance suffers. All too often we are so focused on such a narrow aspect of a situation that we miss obvious opportunities that are right in front of us. In addition, it’s important to focus on what you want. A golfer who focuses on the spot where she wants the ball to land will be more likely to make the shot than if she is focusing on avoiding the tree on the left.
We often attempt to concentrate on too many things at once. Multi-tasking is a myth. What we really do is shift our attention rapidly from task to task. When we don’t devote our attention to any one thing, we sacrifice the quality of our attention.
Consider these important questions to improve your concentration:
How likely are you to focus on what you want to happen as opposed to what you don’t want to happen?
How might switching from an internal to an external focus change your experience or performance?
In what situations do you find yourself multitasking?
Make a list of the distractions, internal or external, you’re currently experiencing when you perform as a leader. Complete this sentence: If I weren’t thinking about ______I’d be able to focus and concentrate on _________.
2. Improve Performance through Clarity
Uncertainty and indecision cause a drain on energy. If you don’t have clarity, you’re unlikely to perform to your maximum potential. Clarity reduces anxiety and increases confidence.
When you are clear about your goals and the necessary action steps, you can commit and fully engage. In order to create clarity around a goal, here are some key questions to consider:
- What exactly are you trying to accomplish?
- What are possible ways to achieve this goal? List as many as you can.
- What are you NOT seeing or considering? Ask a friend what you might be overlooking.
- What information do you need to make a decision? Who can provide that information or where can you get it?
- What could get in your way of accomplishing your goal? How will you react and adjust if that happens?
Here is another way to use clarity: Think about an area of your leadership performance that you want to improve. Choose one action that you could do. Set a clear intention for what you want to do and how to do it. Afterward, assess how well you stuck to your plan. Did the clarity around your goal help?
3. Improve Performance through Centering
An excellent way to block distractions and harness energy is to create a regular practice that gets you into a more alert, focused, calm state. This is called centering.
Centering is a form of relaxation. It doesn’t have to be meditation in a lotus position for an hour a day. It can be journaling or taking a walk through nature. It involves reaching that calm and peaceful place within you despite what’s going on outside you.
Being centered means being in a state of focus, clarity, and balance. In this state, you can listen to the powerful guiding voice inside and let go of stress and negative thoughts and feelings.
Begin to practice centering on a regular basis. It will become more effective with time and repetition. Start by committing to five minutes a day.
Centering Techniques:
A. Mantras: Mantras are super powerful for your mindset and staying centered. You can have several mantras for different scenarios or parts of the day. One of my favorite mantras is “Happiness in, negativity out.” If you need some inspiration for creating your own, check out this post with 10 ideas.
B. Routines: Creating and practicing a routine is one of the most powerful things you can do to train your body to stay centered. There are many different kinds of routines – morning, evening, workout, workday, etc. Find the time when you tend to feel the most off-center and create a routine for that time.
C. Reflection: Take time to pause and reflect on where you are, where you’ve come from, and where you’re going. Sometimes simply reminding yourself of how far you’ve come can be incredibly powerful for making you feel centered.
D. The Success Tuning Technique: Another powerful centering method is called the Success Tuning Technique. It allows you to tune into a past successful performance and bring back that feeling to create a new experience. It helps you create a mindset for peak performance. Use it anytime you want to be on top of your game, like making a presentation or playing a sport.
Here are the steps:
- Close your eyes. Relax deeply.
- Imagine a time when you were at the top of your game, whatever that means to you.
- Then tune into that experience and bring back as many senses as possible. Remember sights and faces, light, colors, and sounds (including tone and quality). Focus on how you felt. Imagine the feelings you had then are real now. Use all of your imagination to feel like you are there again.
- Once you are there, come up with a meaningful word and repeat it as you relive the experience. Remain in the memory for several minutes.
- Then count yourself out and open your eyes.
When you want to be at the top of your game, close your eyes, take a deep breath, tune into your memory, and say your word to yourself. Then open your eyes and act. Practice this technique often. The goal is to be able to tune in to your past experience in just a few seconds
Summary: Being able to concentrate on what’s most important is a key leadership skill. If you would like more information on improving leadership performance, check out my other blog posts, especially “Developing Your Emotional Intelligence as a New Executive Director.”
And remember…You’re not alone. You can do this!
The concepts discussed in this post are based on the work of Bruce Schneider of the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching.
