The Discipline of Focus

Discipline should apply to all things. As Jeff Schwisow, a recent guest on The Mojo Radio Show said, “business is good at starting projects, they are not so good at finishing them.” Why are so many entrepreneurs distracted by bright shiny objects - SQUIRREL - without having the discipline to stay the course? It seems there is a growing trend amongst small- and medium-sized enterprises to want to start new entities or brands when they have not done the job on their last business. Their company is not a market leader, they may have work to do on their culture, their marketing model is unsure, and they lack the structure and process standards to be at their best. Yet…SQUIRREL. The leader gets bored and is compelled to start another business. Strong, resilient companies are built over time - long periods of time. They stay the course; they are disciplined. They can see the long-term dream, and they maintain their focus to deliver. With all this distraction, the people who suffer the most are the staff. People need leadership, and quite often the distraction takes the leader away from their core responsibility of leading the business and the team. Before you start chasing bright shiny objects, be sure your core business is healthy, your people have the necessary leadership and direction, your brand is strong, and your culture is embedded. There are loads of OK businesses out there, and if you are fine with being OK - SQUIRREL - then collect more companies to run. However, if your dream is to have an outstanding company leading an outstanding team for an outstanding brand, then be disciplined, be great, and stay the course.