What is Clarity and Focus?

If you’ve been reading my articles in the past, you’ll notice I use the words “clarity” and “focus” frequently. But what do they mean in the context of leadership? That is today's subject.

Clarity and Focus can best be described as how we show up every day. This is crucial as a leader, as it reflects how you view the world. A leader that frequently exhibits fear and worries, or anger and frustration tends to have limited clarity and focus. By contrast, a leader who exhibits acceptance, non-judgment, and curiosity has a higher degree of clarity and focus.

For example, a leader who is constantly showing up angry or frustrated about their work will have a limited view of the world. This is because they are only focused on the things that are upsetting to them. Unfortunately, this limits their ability to see other possibilities or solutions to their situations. Even more so, that anger and frustration will almost always carry over into how they lead their team; this leads to lower productivity in the long run and a buildup of potential resentment and apathy. More anger and fear equals less clarity and focus.

Another example would be a leader who shows up as a calm, accepting, and curious person to work. Regardless of what may go “wrong”, they always approach the situation with the same curious mindset and a non-judgmental attitude. This does not mean that accountability is out of the picture; instead, it means the leader is open to a wider range of possibilities for solutions instead of just reward or punishment. More open and accepting mindsets equals more clarity and focus.

Why is this important? Leaders who exhibit greater clarity and focus more often increase their chances of higher productivity, less burnout and turnover, and higher satisfaction amongst their team and themselves. With more clarity and focus, more possibilities open up, which offers unique opportunities for solutions not previously visible. A leader with more clarity and focus can inspire their employees with positivity over fear, and offer the environment to foster new solutions over the “my way or the highway” approach. Leaders with more clarity and focus create buy-in with their employees and foster innovation amongst their teams.

In short, a leader that exhibits a greater degree of clarity and focus increases their chances of success in the performance of their team as well as themselves. Going forward, I will refer to clarity and focus often and hope that the context of their usage makes sense.