The Power of Focus

As the preparations begin for Money 2020 in Amsterdam this week I took the opportunity to reflect on last year’s conference.

I was faced with the challenge of optimising my time whilst there. I had been requested to attend several meetings however, sometimes people want something from you with no relationship in place. In my experience this often leads to failure because no trust is established. I focus on establishing relationships first to build the foundations.

Knowing who we are and where we are heading is vital to our business success. I so admire a client of mine who was focused on achieving his next level promotion. Over several months he resisted four job offers, to stay at the same level. He declined each opportunity gracefully, stating to each decision maker that he was happy to look at this opportunity only “if it advances yours and my career and is not a lateral move.”

A truism - to move where we want to go, we have to say No to parts of our current reality. I so wish I knew this earlier in my life; it is harsh but true that we have to evolve to realise our potential.

I believe in the Butterfly effect – don’t underestimate the impact you can have on a Payments leader, who in turn can have a multiplying impact on a global team. I have learned from leaders in the Payments eco-system that you can’t achieve anything of significance on your own, so be collaborative.

Money2020 2023, did not disappoint. It is said that this is the place where money does business. In my experience, it was a very productive, immersive space for stellar networking and insightful absorption. A focus that will shape our world where hopefully we can have a bigger impact across all aspects of society - the unbanked, the under-banked and underrepresented.

I firmly believe it only delivered because I knew who I wanted to do business with and who I wanted to say no to.

One of the core propositions of Payments Leaders Advisory is to help businesses with their Go To Market strategy by focussing on whom they choose to do business with and those they do not.

We focus on both sides of the revenue ledger:

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My challenge to you this week: is how do you embrace saying No so you can join the dots to realise great opportunities?

Our purpose at Payments Leaders Advisory is to transform Payments leaders’ mindsets, confidence, and results. For them to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learning.

We achieve this by unlocking the ‘latent ability’ within talented individuals and teams. If you have found this article valuable, please like, re-share and pass it on to a colleague or to your trusted network whom it could help at this stage of their leadership career.

If you are a decency led leader, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a challenge and want to work with a trusted partner, to [email protected]