Leading From the Space In Between: Notes on Focus and Presence

Slowing Down to Get Ahead
Our Attention Matters. 

As I facilitate leadership teams through transformation, I’m noticing more stress than ever. Attention is scattered, the pace keeps accelerating, and AI has brought a whole new learning curve, and another thing to add to the list. It makes me wonder: Where is the breaking point? And what if slowing down is actually how we get ahead?

Imagine a different way of being - one that puts attention first. Because where our attention goes, our energy flows.

Recently, one leadership team experimented with creating 15-minute breaks between meetings. They also made sure meetings began and ended on time and stayed to 30 minutes. It wasn’t possible for every meeting, but it created enough space to pause, reset, and reconnect before moving on.

Our brains need focus, but they also need breaks to work at their best. Perhaps you could try it with a few meetings each week. Stay focused on what matters most. Put distractions aside. Give yourself - and the people in the room - your full attention. When we give someone our attention, we are telling them they matter.

As AI continues to change how we work, our ability to be present, focused, and deeply human will matter more than ever. So perhaps the invitation is simple:

Slow down. Create space. Give your brain a break.

We may discover that by doing less at once, we accomplish more, and connect more deeply along the way.

If you’re curious about building brain-healthy habits, check out changeyourwaves.com. I sit on their board and have been deeply involved in their work- I’m genuinely excited about their AI coach, which helps you find more focus, calm, and clarity in the midst of busy days. Because sustainable success isn’t about doing more. It’s about bringing more of ourselves to what matters most.

- Kip Hollister

More on Hollister’s Impact Over The Years.