Berger Leadership Blog

As we work to continue to lead our organizations amid a challenging time, it can be hard not to dwell on things that have gone wrong or perceive any failures as a result of our own shortcomings. I've previously discussed the importance of showing empathy to team members, but how can we practice showing empathy toward ourselves and use that as a superpower?

I find that the ability to reframe focus is a key component of problem solving. Harping on a problem or weakness that we may have will not help bring about a solution. Changing direction and refocusing energy away from those negative thoughts often leads to growth, and better yet an innovative, well-thought-out idea.  

In a recent post, leadership guru Dan Rockwell highlights how attention can determine direction and shares three ways leaders can use to monitor and manage their attention.

• Reflect on habits of thought: In order to address and change where you're focusing your attention, Rockwell suggests setting an alarm to sound every 30 minutes for a day. When it goes off, take a moment to record your thoughts and ask yourself whether you are addressing:
  • problems or solutions;
  • disappointment or satisfaction;
  • obstacles or opportunities; and
  • weakness or strength.
• Use triggers to redirect negative attention: Rockwell references a quote from existential psychologist Rollo May.

"Between stimulus and response there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Next time you find yourself pondering frustrations, try redirecting that into gratitude. Try asking, "What am I thankful for?"

• Questions for redirection: While we can't control what thoughts pop into our heads, we can control what we give the most attention to. So what questions can we ask to help redirect our thoughts? Rockwell offers five:
  • What solution might improve this nagging concern?
  • What fulfills you about working with your team?
  • What opportunities lie within this obstacle?
  • What do you respect about this frustrating person?
  • How might I have this tough conversation quickly?

Rockwell reminds us to take control and manage our attention, while giving us the tools to do just that. While it's important to take stock of where our company, employees and ourselves are, retraining focus away from negatives will help us better identify opportunities and solutions.

I often write about the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) and how building upon it can lead to key breakthroughs, heeding Rockwell's advice can only help further this. 

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