ILLUSTRATION BY RUTH MACAPAGAL
It is not uncommon for a lot of our clients, from ultra-wealthy business owners to Fortune 500 CEOs, to juggle two to three cellphones while in a meeting. Attention deficit is the silent success killer that is the root cause of a lot of bad boardroom decisions.
Leaders are continuously told to innovate, strategize and think big. Yet, while most business owners, CEOs and executives focus on expanding their vision for the future, there’s an invisible force at play that is undermining their ability to do so: shrinking attention spans. It’s a silent disease that seeps into our daily routines, fueled by the very gadgets and platforms we rely on to stay connected. And while it’s subtle, the impact is profound.
This is why Steve Jobs was notorious for calling out anyone who did not pay attention, even for a second.
The brain at odds: Building careers with the same brain that checks social media
Think about it: the brain we use to build multimillion-dollar companies is the same brain we use to compulsively check our phones for the latest update. This paradox has never been more apparent. We demand focus, long-term vision and strategic decision-making from our executives, but at the same time, we condition ourselves to crave the next dopamine hit—a notification, a quick scroll through a social media feed, or a brief text message.
Dopamine, often called the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, is released when we experience something pleasurable, like checking that latest notification or receiving an email. This quick fix is addictive, especially in the context of smartphones, where we are always just one click away from the next reward. As Jeff Bezos himself pointed out, phones have become attention-shrinking devices. And while we might believe that managing our businesses from these gadgets helps us stay connected and efficient, the truth is, they are sabotaging our ability to focus on the bigger picture.
Dopamine vs long-term success
Why is this so damaging for business leaders? The brain, like any muscle, adapts to what we train it to do. When we train it to crave short-term dopamine fixes, we essentially wire it for instant gratification. And when instant gratification becomes the norm, the ability to sustain focus, think deeply and weigh long-term consequences erodes.
Consider this: a business leader who constantly checks their phone is training their brain to operate in short bursts of attention. This might be acceptable for quick decisions or urgent tasks, but for long-term strategic thinking, this behavior is disastrous. Building a successful business demands the ability to think through complex problems, analyze all angles and make decisions that will have lasting impacts. These are not tasks that can be completed in a rush. They require sustained focus, patience and a willingness to resist the pull of short-term dopamine rewards.
The importance of managing attention in leadership
CEOs, business owners and top executives must make a conscious decision to manage their attention span as they would manage any other resource. In the same way they would allocate capital or hire the right talent, they must also allocate time and energy toward maintaining and lengthening their attention span. This is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity in a world where distractions are omnipresent.
Bezos wasn’t alone in his observation. Countless successful leaders have begun to recognize that the tools designed to make us more connected are, in fact, pulling us away from our ability to connect with the most important tasks at hand. As attention spans shrink, the gap between leaders who can manage their focus and those who can’t will continue to widen. The ability to maintain attention, to resist the lure of instant gratification, will become one of the most important differentiators in business leadership.
Practical steps to combat the attention crisis
So, what can business leaders do to manage this attention crisis and regain control over their focus?
1. Digital detox periods: Schedule specific times of the day where you disconnect from all electronic devices. This doesn’t mean abandoning technology entirely, but creating boundaries that allow your brain to recover from constant stimulation. Even one hour of disconnected time can allow for deeper thinking and long-term focus to flourish.
2. Deep work blocks: Set aside designated blocks of time for “deep work.” This is a time where you focus on critical tasks without interruptions. Whether it’s two or four hours, ensure that this time is completely free from distractions—no emails, no notifications, just you and the task at hand.
3. Mindfulness and meditation: Integrating mindfulness or meditation into your daily routine can help train your brain to resist the pull of distractions. Leaders like Ray Dalio have long credited meditation as a tool to enhance focus, decision-making and emotional regulation. A mere 10 to 20 minutes a day can build the mental muscle required for long-term attention.
4. Turn off notifications: Notifications are the primary culprit in training our brains to focus on the short-term. Turn off unnecessary alerts on your devices. If something is truly urgent, the person will find a way to reach you. By reducing the number of distractions, you reclaim your focus.
5. Embrace boredom: It sounds counterintuitive, but boredom is essential for creativity and long-term focus. When was the last time you allowed yourself to be bored? Instead of immediately turning to your phone when you feel the pull of boredom, sit with it. Some of the greatest ideas in business history were born out of moments of quiet reflection.
Take Sara Blakely, for example. Sara is an American self-made billionaire and founder of Spanx. She made it to the Time magazine’s “Time 100” annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world and was even listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. How did she get there? She attributes “daydreaming” as one of the most powerful weapons to skyrocket her business to success.
6. Train the brain with long-term goals: Set long-term goals and break them down into manageable tasks. This helps retrain your brain to focus on the bigger picture rather than instant gratification. By reinforcing the connection between sustained effort and long-term reward, you can break the cycle of dopamine dependency.
From dopamine addiction to long-term leadership
In the end, the leaders who rise to the top will not be those who can respond to every email in record time or scroll through the most newsfeeds in a day. The leaders who truly thrive will be those who can do the opposite—who can resist the pull of instant gratification and instead focus their attention on the tasks that truly matter. They will be the ones who understand that, in the long run, it’s not about how fast you can respond, but about how deeply you can think. INQ
Tom Oliver, a “global management guru” (Bloomberg), is the chair of The Tom Oliver Group, the trusted advisor and counselor to many of the world’s most influential family businesses, medium-sized enterprises, market leaders and global conglomerates. For more information and inquiries: www.TomOliverGroup.com or email Tom.Oliver@inquirer.com.ph.