Doing. Leading. Thinking.
When everything demands attention, what deserves yours?
Ask the leaders I work with how their week went and most will describe a constant stream of demands. Stakeholders inside and outside the organisation have competing expectations, meetings fill the calendar, and people look to them for decisions, direction and support. Much of it matters, and by the end of the week there's plenty to show for it, along with a sense of satisfaction, perhaps mixed with exhaustion.
They aren't short of commitment or effort. They care about their people, want to deliver and take their responsibilities seriously. And when so many people are counting on them, it's understandable that their attention goes to what's immediately in front of them.
Here's a question worth asking:
Have you been doing the work your leadership role really requires?
It's not a question about working harder, slowing down or finding a better balance. Most senior leaders don't have the luxury of fewer demands.
It's a question about attention.
What demands our attention, and what deserves it?
Not everything that demands our attention deserves the same attention.
Some things are genuinely urgent. Others are louder, more visible or come with someone else's deadline. And some draw us in because they're familiar. We know how to handle them, we're good at them and we can see the results.
There's satisfaction in solving problems, being the person others turn to and getting things across the line. There's also a sense of responsibility. When we know we can help, it's hard not to step in. What if some of that useful work is also keeping our world small?
Consider the issues that keep resurfacing between functions. We can step in, resolve them and move on. Yet what if those recurring problems point to something deeper? Conflicting priorities, unclear accountabilities, relationships that aren't working or decisions nobody wants to confront?
Perhaps the real work isn't to resolve the next issue. It's to understand why the problems keep arising and bring the right people together to address them.
The demands haven't disappeared. What's changed is where our attention goes, from resolving individual problems to addressing what's behind them.
Doing. Leading. Thinking. They're inseparable.
We often talk about what leaders need to do and how they need to lead. How much attention do we give to the thinking that shapes both?
I don't mean just strategic or creative thinking.
I mean questioning what we take for granted, making sense of what we're seeing and hearing, recognising patterns and considering perspectives that challenge our own. It's also about reflecting on how we might be contributing to a situation, sometimes without realising it.
It's asking ourselves whether we're seeing the whole picture, or simply the part we're most familiar with.
And thinking doesn't have to be a solitary activity. Nancy Kline's work on the Thinking Environment reminds us of the importance of giving others the attention and space to think for themselves. How often do we listen with genuine curiosity, rather than already preparing our response or deciding what someone needs to do?
Doing, leading and thinking feed each other. What we notice shapes how we act, and what happens gives us more to think about. There's no fixed starting point.
Without good thinking, we risk becoming exceptionally good at delivering results without questioning whether they're the results that matter most.
What might we be avoiding?
This is the harder question.
Sometimes we gravitate towards the work we know we can do well, rather than the work that most needs our leadership.
It might be a difficult conversation, a relationship that needs repairing or a long-held assumption that deserves challenging. Perhaps it's an uncomfortable truth about the team's performance, or the recognition that something which once made us successful may now be holding us back.
The stakes are often high, and even when we know something needs attention, addressing it may make things harder before they get better. There may be no clear answer.
Avoidance isn't always conscious, either. Our habits, experiences and the expectations of others can shape where our attention goes, often without us recognising it.
Sometimes we do know what needs attention and still feel reluctant to go there.
That's where courage comes in. Not grand gestures, but the everyday courage to question, listen, challenge and acknowledge what we may not want to see. And to act, even when we can't be certain of the outcome.
What is the work you're really there to do?
Executive transitions bring this into sharp focus.
A leader takes on broader responsibilities and continues to invest much of their attention in the work that previously earned them credibility and success. A newly promoted executive might still review proposals line by line, drawing on the attention to detail that helped them succeed. They're capable, committed and delivering.
The organisation may now need something different. Perhaps it's building stronger partnerships across boundaries, challenging established ways of working, developing others' capacity or bringing a broader enterprise perspective to decisions.
This can be a demanding shift involving more than simply changing what we do. Sometimes it means reconsidering how we see ourselves, where we add value and what others need from us.
And this applies equally to established leaders as organisations evolve, circumstances shift and expectations change. What mattered most six months ago may not be what matters most today.
The work of leadership isn't fixed, and neither is the contribution we need to make.
Being busy doing the work and doing the work of leadership aren't always the same thing.
What's demanding your attention? What deserves it? And what might you be overlooking or avoiding that needs your leadership?
I believe exceptional leadership changes lives, not just bottom lines. Having navigated the demands of global executive leadership myself, I'm passionate about helping leaders thrive with authenticity and edge.
Partnering with senior executives and leadership teams across global and Australian organisations, I help them navigate transitions, complex relationships and the challenges of leading in an ever-changing world.
I welcome genuine connections on LinkedIn. You never know when our paths might cross. Sales pitches and spam? Still allergic!
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