Focused and Distracted at the Same Time
Ken Carlson
Experienced Executive Coach and Leadership Trainer with a knack for working with Geeks; Specializing in Engineering, Science, Math, and Medical.
We've rebranded as PricklyPear ! In early 2023, we began sharing weekly content (see below) with a focus on neurodivergent leaders and we truly hope it has made a difference for you. Recently, we introduced you to a new company that I (Ken) and Petra Russell, PCC, CPC, ELI-MP have launched to specifically serve neurodivergent leaders.
As Executive Coaches and Leadership Trainers we've had the opportunity to work with hundreds of neurodivergent leaders and coach them through many leadership and workplace challenges. Each week we will continue to share resources and insights for neurodivergent leaders and the rest of us.
This week we discuss how being focused and distracted are both parts of being human.
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Focused and Distracted at the Same Time
Maybe you can relate; I have a client who can literally focus on solving a problem for an entire day; like, she is so focused she forgets to eat.
On the other hand, this same person can seem to skip from one thing to another, one thought to another, and walk away from a work-week feeling like she has accomplished absolutely nothing.
What is going on here?
And an even better question: how does it feel for her?
I coach leaders—leaders at some of the most technology advanced companies in the world. Nearly every leader I coach graduated from some impossible to get into university and as far as I can tell—they are geniuses. They obviously know how to be focused—and to focus on the right things to advance their education and their careers.
Yet sometimes they are disillusioned with themselves—if they could only not be distracted by every little thing--they tell me they would be even more successful.
So what do they need to do?
It sounds cliche but it’s the truth: they need to get present to reality. They need to get present to the reality of who they are—and hopefully to see that sometimes they have the ability to be focused and sometimes they don’t. Get present to the reality that they are human and things like stress and motivation play a role in how they can respond to a situation. They need to get present to the reality that they can’t do everything perfectly—and that’s ok because there is really no such thing as perfect.
Once they get in touch with reality—no matter how sobering it is—they can get on with it. One of the greatest values a coach brings is to help people see themselves for what they are—and to witness them as valuable even in the midst of their human-ness.
You see, my client doesn’t really need a strategy to deal with her focus or lack thereof. She needs, much more than that, to see herself as OK even when she is not perfect. It adds no value to beat ourselves up—to see ourselves as “less than” and to constantly try to live up to some standard that we can’t live up to. Burnout, disengagement, and low quality work all come from these places.
If you can relate, drop me a line, send me a message on LinkedIn. I’d be fascinated by your experience.
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Past Articles: Neurodiverse Leadership Resource Library
Want more resources on neurodiversity leadership? We are finding and creating resources for you. Watch this section expand every week.
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Transformational Coach. CPCC. PCC.
6 个月So true, Ken. Understanding and having compassion for your own wiring is immensely powerful. The first step.