The 1% Leader Newsletter - Issue 35

📩 The 1% Leader Newsletter

“Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing”

 When Leaders Drift

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get busy without making real progress?

Emails, meetings, and endless urgent tasks pile up, and before long you realize that your week was full but not fruitful. You worked hard, but did you actually move forward on the mission God called you to?

Leaders don’t usually fail because of one big mistake. More often, they drift — gradually pulled off course by distractions.

That’s why focus is one of the essentials of vision-driven leadership.

Three Anchors of Focus

1. Clarify the “main thing.”

Stephen Covey put it simply: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” If you don’t define the main thing, everything feels equally urgent. For the vision-driven leader, the main thing must be rooted in God’s calling and the eternal mission He’s entrusted to you.

2. Guard it relentlessly.

Focus takes courage. Every “yes” to something outside your calling is a “no” to what matters most. Even good opportunities can become distractions. Nehemiah modeled this when he refused to leave the wall to debate with his critics: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down” (Nehemiah 6:3).

3. Course-correct quickly.

Even with clarity, drift happens. That’s why regular reflection and prayer are so vital. Think of the Apollo missions: constant adjustments were required to reach the target. In leadership, small corrections today prevent major detours tomorrow.

Reflection Step

Take 10 minutes this week to write down your “main thing” for this season of leadership. Ask yourself:

• Am I protecting it with my calendar?

• Am I giving it my best energy?

• What do I need to say “no” to in order to stay true to it?

Closing Encouragement

You cannot lead everything. But you can lead the right thing with conviction, clarity, and courage.

Focus transforms your energy into eternal impact. Protect it, and your leadership will not just be busy — it will be fruitful.

On your side,

Phil

Next Steps for Leaders

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