External Focus
Written by Mitch McCrimmon
How to cultivate a stronger external focus
- Why is it important for a leader to have an external focus?
- Because managers are concerned with execution - this means coordinating internal resources to achieve an efficient output.
- Leaders, on the other hand, need to initiate change.
- They strive to differentiate the organization from its competitors.
- This is only possible if the leader keeps a close eye on the total environment - activities of key customers and competitors.
- What percentage of your time has an internal focus?
- If it is higher than 50% your focus might by primarily managerial.
- How can you free up your time for a more external focus?
- If you feel trapped by a need to react to urgencies rather than deal with what is strategically important, how can you expect to lead?
- Cultivating an external focus is mainly about setting aside time on a regular basis to tap into an intelligence network on all external forces that can impact the competitive success of your business.
- What intelligence gathering can you delegate to others?
- How can you encourage a stronger external focus in your team?
- How can you enlist the cooperation of key customers or partners?
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