Focus On What Matters Most
There are moments when leadership lessons come rushing back from the most unexpected places.
This morning, during an early walk through San Francisco as I prepared for a two-day meeting with ~100 of Terumo Neuro’s global executives at our Global Leadership Forum, I found myself standing beneath the iconic Transamerica Pyramid.
Instantly, I was five years old again.
In 1975, my family drove from our home state of Minnesota to California. My Dad insisted we park next to the Transamerica
Pyramid because, as he put it, “If we focus on this building, we’ll never lose our car.”
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At the time, it was practical advice.
Today, I realize it was also a leadership lesson.
In a world filled with constant change, competing priorities, and endless distractions, our greatest advantage is knowing what deserves our focus.
Focus on what matters most - not the noise.
Focus on the people who lift others up - not those who seek to derail progress.
Focus on the mission, even when the path isn’t perfectly straight.
Focus on developing people, because organizations only grow as their leaders do.
Focus on creating moments that people will remember long after the meeting ends.
And above all, focus on remaining true to your values. They are the landmark that keeps you grounded when everything around you is changing.
As we begin an important two days together at Terumo Neuro, that’s the mindset I’ll carry with me.
After all these years, I still smile when I think about my Dad’s advice. “If you focus on the right building, you’ll never lose your car.”
The same is true in leadership. When you stay focused on the right things, you’ll never lose your way.