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November 11, 2026
The Leadership Squirrel
Chasing Every Shiny Thing
Have you ever watched a dog spot a squirrel?
Full focus. Full commitment. Complete abandonment of whatever it was doing five seconds earlier.
Organizations aren't much different.
One week the team is focused on customer service. The next week it’s employee engagement. Then innovation. Then AI. Then strategic planning. Then a new dashboard. Then a new process. Then another new priority to support the last priority.
Employees eventually stop asking, “What’s important?” and start asking, “How long until this priority gets replaced?”
The challenge isn’t a lack of good ideas. Most leaders have more good ideas than they could possibly execute. The challenge is believing every good idea deserves immediate attention.
Teams don't get exhausted from hard work. They get exhausted from constant redirection.
Strong leaders understand that every new priority creates a hidden cost. If everything matters, nothing truly matters. Every time we add something to the list, we should be willing to remove something as well.
Leadership requires the discipline to stay focused long after the excitement has worn off. Sometimes the most strategic thing a leader can say is not “Let's do this,” but “Not right now.”
Action Items
- Keep the top three team priorities visible and reference them often.
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Before launching a new initiative, ask: What will we stop doing?
- Create a “parking lot” list for good ideas that are not current priorities.
- Finish an existing commitment before introducing a new one.
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When tempted by a new opportunity, ask: Does this move our top priority forward?
Leadership Reflection
Enthusiasm starts initiatives. Discipline finishes them.
The teams that accomplish the most are rarely the ones with the most ideas. They’re usually the ones that stay focused on a few important things long enough to see results.
Book Recommendation
The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling
Your goals can be difficult to achieve when you’re stuck in a whirlwind of day-to-day tasks. “The Four Disciplines of Execution” provides a simple but effective formula for achieving your goals in the middle of this whirlwind and making changes work in the long term.
Podcast Recommendation
The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast episodes on strategic focus and organizational priorities.
Recognized by both Forbes and Industry Leader Magazine, The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast provides practical advice on strategic focus and organizational priorities for leaders at every level in just 30 minutes.
Final Thought
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” – Stephen Covey
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