What’s the most important quality of success? Focus.
The proof?
Think back on any meaningful achievement - professional or personal.
Could you have done it without focus?
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, put it plainly: ”The true scarce commodity of the future will be human attention."
For a leadership edge, I challenge and support a black belt level of focus.
In over 30 years of transitioning the karate ranks from student to sensei, one thing remained constant: the development of the body, mind and spirit through the training of focus. This ingrained a high performance attitude on and off the mat.
The phrase ‘every master was once a disaster’ comes to mind. I started off lacking confidence - cynical and the insulting clown - all to mask a poor relationship with myself. My growth was made possible through the training of focus and directing my mind from self-doubt to self-assurance.
Fulfilment followed in that I was able to guide others to do the same. I call that life-mastery: to help bring out the best in others. You can call it leadership. As a leader, the more you grow the more you can guide.
A black belt level of focus has carried me through the stuck seasons of my coaching practice. It’s kept me anchored in purpose and service, even in moments of uncertainty and second-guessing.
Focus steers me from comparison and complaint to clarity and creativity. It’s the discipline behind the risky launch and the fuel behind the growth of a full-time coaching practice.
You see the dark parts - aka ninjas, our shadow selves - never really go away. Leaders just get faster at redirecting attention. It’s called focus and refocus.
Focus is the ability to say no and yes deliberately and intentionally. It’s the ability to say no to an extra 30 minutes of emails and yes to your family time and energy renewal.
For high performance outcomes, black belt focus means operating single-mindedly on high-consequence activities first. But mastery demands more than intensity. It requires remembering a critical component: growth happens in the periods of rest.