Genius in a Beam
What does it look like to focus like a laser beam? I'll tell you. Remember the 80's movie Real Genius? At the end, four young geniuses flawlessly communicate in order to redirect a maliciously intended laser beam shot from an airplane. Their calculations are perfect. The beam bounces off of a few strategic spots, through a statue, and finally lands directly on Prof. Hathaway's house (he's the bad guy, real mean and stuff), thus causing the entire house to become one gigantic popcorn popper (because they previously lined the inside with kernels). It might be the greatest scene ever written and shot. But without the intensity of that laser beam - without it being so flawlessly directed, that scene wouldn't have happened - the geniuses would not have achieved their ridiculously hilarious goal. This is a movie scene that I'm sure Lisa Haneberg would absolutely love, because her current mission in life is to get leaders to Focus Like A Laser Beam by telling us the 10 Ways to Do What Matters Most.
I'm pretty sure we all agree that business moves faster than it ever has. New challenges and battles arise everyday. Sometimes, even leaders who have been good in the past can't quite learn how to keep up in our light speed economy, and it's primarily because they still manage like they did when the world turned at a slower pace. So how to leaders lead in this new world? The most important thing a leader can do (other than, you know, show up) is to learn how to focus and how and where and when to direct that focus. That is why the laser beam analogy is so perfect. Listen (or read unless you have created some ingenious way for your computer to read this to you) to how Lisa talks about a laser beam and tell me that this doesn't apply to managerial style.
Laser beams are beautiful. Each bit of energy is jazzed to the max and moves in perfect harmony. Their complicated inner soul creates an outer appearance that is elegantly simple and straightforward: literally straight forward. Forward an inch wide and mile long. Strong, intense, and determined to reach the target with precision. One mind, one purpose, one direction. And while the laser is not the brightest light in any one moment, it goes farther, farther, miles farther and faster on track. Crazed, long, pure, and smooth.
What a paragraph huh? I just wish that paragraph was describing inBubbleGuy. If he had all those qualities....Wow!
Haneberg's structure for this books is actually even inspired by the characteristics of laser beams as described by professor Mark Csele in Fundamentals of Light Sources and Lasers, which is pretty darn cool if you ask me. This breaks the book into three parts: 1) Excite and Energize; 2) Tune Your Dialogue; and 3) Zoom In. Again, I can't tell you how cool this is to me. Or, I guess I could, but you already know I'm a total weenie, so I won't give you even more fodder.
Now we get to the hutzpah of the book, and let's just point out real quick that to focus like a laser really and truly means that you must figure out how to do what matters most. That is exactly what Lisa helps us do with the ten steps. Each of the ten steps is given an entire chapter that consist of a quick summary, then the major text that calls out major concepts, and the chapter concludes with examples that will help you understand how to implement said topic. So what are a couple steps?
I'll tell you two of my favorite steps. One is actually the final step. It's one that is extremely difficult for some of us to follow because determination, and sometimes ego, prevent us from following it: LETTING GO. When a goal or project or task or lover or bicycle or shoe becomes obsolete, just let it go. Focus your energy instead on completing and succeed in front of yourself.
My second favorite step is one I'm sure you all will also love: STOP MULTITASKING! Yup, do one thing at a time and do it well. Multitasking saps your ability to intensely focus, strips you of energy, and makes you less productive. So knock it off...NOW.
The Offer:
Not only will 20 people win the book, but one lucky winner will also receive one of those really sweet and powerful laser pointers. Those things are awesome...especially for practical joking and annoying people. Oh yeah, and they, like, have a bunch of other cool and really practical purposes as well. But that's not it. Remember my second favorite step, Stop Multitasking? Well, the 20 book winners will also receive this fantastic sign - to be immediately placed within your cubicle or office, or on your desk, that boldly proclaims Stop Multitasking - you know, with the word inside the circle with the line through it. Yeah that's it. So try your hardest to win Focus Like a Laser Beam.
...and make sure you take a fair amount of time to check out Lisa's blog - Management Craft.
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