Keeping Focus

As we look forward to 2014, I have been thinking about the need to remain focused to make sure that as a district we continue to be student focused as we implement our Strategic Framework. A recent article in Harvard Business Review called, The Focused Leader, reminded me that I need to model that focus. The article discussed the common idea that “being focused” means filtering out distractions and concentrating on one item. However, new information indicates that leaders should think about focus as a triad of awareness.

They note,

“Every leader needs to cultivate a triad of awareness – an inward focus, a focus on others, and an outward focus. Focusing inward and on others helps leaders cultivate emotional intelligence. Focusing outward can improve their ability to devise strategy, innovate, and manage organizations.”

In the information age, maintain focus is harder that ever.  The challenge for me in 2014 is to develop the inward, outward and organizational focus.