Joseph Lalonde
Becoming a disciplined leader is not for the faint of heart. A disciplined leader knows being disciplined is a choice. He also knows being disciplined is more than a choice.
Leaders who are truly disciplined in their thoughts, actions, and life go the next step. These disciplined leaders know to be truly disciplined they have to control their focus.
Disciplined leaders get out of the mindset trap of jumping from shiny object to shiny object to squirrel! Instead, they’ve narrowed their focus to a fine point.
This means these leaders don’t let their minds wander when they need to be focused on a specific task. They hone their focus on the task and get it done.
But how do they stay focused? What does focus look like? Let’s take a look at what it takes to be focused.
It’s All About Your Focus
Your focus is a driving factor in becoming disciplined. What you focus on is where you’ll go.
There’s an old tale about a young man. He’d left the city of his youth and, on his journey, he stopped in a new town. There, he bumped into an older gentleman and asked him a question. “Sir, what kind of people live in this town?” The older gentleman replied: “Well, tell me about the people in the town where you have traveled from.” The young man told him about the mean, angry, and bitter people of his former town. “Well, what do you know,” the older gentleman said, “those are the same type of people you’ll find here.”
Disappointed, the young man left. He continued traveling, hoping he would find a town different than the one he had come from.
Another young man entered the same town a few days later. This young man asked the older gentleman the same question. The older gentleman asked this new young man the same question: “What kind of people were in the town you traveled from?” The young man replied: “The people were great. They were kind and treated people with respect. They saw opportunity everywhere they looked.”
The older gentleman looked at him with kindness in his eyes. He told the young man: “Sir, you’re in luck. This town is full of people who are kind and respectful. They are always finding new opportunities to do good work and help others to be their best.”
The first young man’s focus was on negative things. He saw people as angry and ugly. He believed people were out to get him and didn’t care for others.
The second young man’s focus was on positive things. He saw the good in others. He believed people were looking out for one another and they were respectful.
Do you see how focus can change your direction? You can begin changing your focus so you can become disciplined in the right things.
What Are You Focused On?
Are you focused on the negative aspects of a disciplined leader? Does the thought of having to take your thoughts captive and holding your tongue scare you? Then you’re going to struggle in becoming disciplined.
Do you believe becoming a disciplined leader will help you lead better and, ultimately, lead you to a more impactful life? Then you’re going to be able to quickly adapt to the requirements of becoming a disciplined leader.
Make sure your focus is on the positive aspects of discipline. By looking at the positives and what will be possible as you begin to take control of your mind, body, and actions, you’ll discover there’s no better way to lead and live.
Question: Are you focused on the positive or negative aspects of discipline? What do you need to do to get your focus in the right spot?
This article originally appeared here.