By Tim Huff
President & CEO, TLG
I needed to buy a bag of ice.
I was standing in the checkout line at my usual Saturday afternoon grocery store, juggling a mental to-do list and reminding myself: Don’t forget to ask the cashier for a bag of ice. Simple enough.
But while I waited, I glanced at an email, checked LinkedIn notifications, peeked at a news alert about a distant natural disaster, and somehow ended up researching a new productivity app I’d heard about. By the time I paid and walked out, I had everything… except the ice!
My brain, in that moment, was like a browser with 47 tabs open, and none of them were actually helping me focus.
That moment captured what so many of us experience daily: the illusion of multitasking in a sea of digital distractions. We’re busy, but not always effective. Engaged, but not always present. Connected, but not always clear.
So, the question is: How do we lead (ourselves and others) when the noise never stops?
Chaos is the New Constant
In a world that isn’t going to quiet down for us, leaders must develop the discipline of focus, not just for personal productivity, but to model clarity and calm for our teams. The chaos isn’t going anywhere. Instead, it’s our relationship with chaos that has to change.
A foundational belief we have at TLG is that leadership begins with character, which is reflected in the Turknett Leadership Character Model. And when we get down to it, focus… real, intentional focus… is a character decision.
The Real Cost of Noise
The average person now spends over 2.5 hours a day scrolling social media. But the true cost isn’t just in minutes, it’s in momentum. Every time we shift our attention, we splinter our ability to think clearly and creatively. Over time, distraction doesn’t just steal our time, it rewires our brains to crave interruption.
And leaders can’t afford to be foggy.
But we also can’t afford to just unplug and go off-grid. So, the challenge becomes discerning signal from noise. What deserves our energy? What’s just static?
4 Uncommon Strategies to Reclaim Focus
Here are four not-so-obvious, yet effective ways to cut through the noise and lead with clarity:
- Establish a “North Star Half-Hour” Each Week
Instead of starting your week with a to-do list, start with a “North Star Half-Hour.” Block 30 minutes early Monday (or Friday afternoon) to revisit your personal and professional core priorities: mission, values, goals, strategy. Review your calendar and email through that lens. Ask: Is this aligned with what matters most?
This small shift can transform your week from reactive to intentional. It becomes easier to say no to noise when you’re anchored in purpose.
- Narrate Your Focus Like a Podcast Host
I tried this; it sounds odd, but it was effective.
When distraction strikes, try narrating aloud (or in your head), as if you’re hosting a leadership podcast: “Right now, I’m choosing to focus on preparing this client presentation, because it moves our strategic growth forward. Email can wait.”
You become both the actor and the narrator of your choices, which gives you power over them. It may sound silly, but talking yourself through what you’re choosing to focus on actually helps your brain stay on track. When you narrate your decisions, you’re more likely to follow through on them.
- Designate a “No-Scroll Zone” in Your Home or Office
Not just a tech-free time, but a space that’s sacred from digital clutter. For example, your kitchen table or a chair in your office could become a scroll-free sanctuary. No emails, no doomscrolling, no phone checking.
This physical boundary conditions your brain: When I’m in this space, I focus or rest. Period. Even if it’s only 20 minutes a day, the spatial cue can dramatically improve your attention span over time.
- Treat Your Inbox Like a Museum, Not a Command Center
If you’re anything like me, you might treat your inbox like mission control… everything urgent, everything important, all the time. But here’s a reframe that I’m trying: curate your inbox like a museum.
Just as museums display selected art, you can curate what actually deserves your focus. Take a few seconds to unsubscribe to email subscriptions that are no longer valuable to you. And use auto-rules to auto-file low-priority emails and to emphasize high priority emails (like the monthly TLG Newsletter).
Focus Isn’t About Silence, It’s About Discernment
Let’s be clear: focus doesn’t mean blocking out everything. That’s not realistic. Instead, it’s the disciplined act of choosing what matters most, over and over again.
The best leaders don’t have less noise in their lives, they just know what not to listen to and don’t give in to anxiety when they can’t pay attention to everything.
And when we model clarity, capacity, and self-compassion for our teams, we give others permission to do the same.
Final Thought
If your brain feels like a browser with 47 tabs open, you’re not alone. The world is loud. But leadership in the modern era isn’t about having the most tabs open, it’s about knowing which one you’re really working on.
So this week, I invite you to pause.
Breathe.
Block a North Star Half-Hour.
Narrate your choices.
And ask yourself: What’s truly worthy of my focus today?
Because in a distracted world, the most radical act of leadership is clarity.
Thanks,