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7 Strategic Ways You Can Sharpen Your Concentration Right Now

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concentration

One of the most important things to have while you are working towards your goal is concentration. This can be hard to do, especially when others around you are convincing you to have fun, or to do it later. By following these 7 strategic tips, you will learn how to overcome the concentration obstacle within minutes.

1. Music

When athletes are about to play their sport, you see them a lot of times with headphones on, and a ‘don’t bother me right now’ look on their face. This is what they do to get focused. They are listening to that song that pumps them up to get them motivated to do their best. It provides them with that winning feeling. Music is known to offer different emotions to certain situations. Use it as an advantage to build your concentration, while preparing to do your best work.

2. Ritual

Having a ritual signals to your mind that you’re about to go into that concentration ‘zone’. Most writers have a ritual they perform before they begin to write. For me, I have a cup of hot tea, while sitting in my favorite chair, doing a puzzle. This gets my mind and body to settle, so that I can sink into writer’s mode. Exploring different rituals can help you naturally ease into your concentration.The great thing about rituals is you can customize them to your benefit!

“Stay focused, go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.” – LL Cool J

3. Get In A Good Space

Do you find that you do your best work at the kitchen table or on the living room floor? Lying on your bed or at a desk? Dim lights or sunlight? Your work space contributes a lot to your concentration. If you’re not comfortable where you are, your work could suffer, or not exist at all. Find a space that is suitable to you, but not too comfortable. You want to be able to produce awesome work, not drift off to sleep.

4. Remove All Distractions

Cell phone notifications, or anything that makes you look up when it goes off, remove it or silence it. Various noises interrupts your thinking and your ability to get in the ‘zone’. What can easily take an hour will take 2 hours or more, if you don’t remove anticipated distractions. Distractions take up precious time that could have been used working on your task. Starting over and attempting to get back in the ‘zone’ will be difficult after a distraction has occurred. Get rid of them before you dive into your work.

5. Begin

As simple as it sounds, it’s probably the hardest thing to do. Just begin. Whatever your task is, sit down (or stand up, depending on what the task is) and start. After you begin, you should experience a ‘flow’ in what you’re doing. You’ll be performing your task at a great level, without wanting to stop. The only drawback is that it may not work all of the time, but you won’t know until you begin. The more you follow these tips, the better chances you have of getting into your ‘flow’ every time.  

6. Use Your Emotional Energy

Concentration takes mental energy. Your emotions play a big role in how you concentrate. When you are mad, sad, anxious, or happy, that’s emotional energy. Depending on the type of task you are doing, you can easily channel that energy into your concentration. A songwriter creates their best love song after a break up. That’s using emotional energy to your advantage. Instead of sitting there with all of that energy bouncing around in your mind and body, make it work for you –  ‘concentrate’ that energy towards your task.

For example, if you are mad or stressed out, you can channel that energy into your exercise routine. If you are happy or just received good news, channel that energy into studying for an exam or practicing chess. It’s simply focusing your emotional energy, to enhance the outcome of your goal.

“The biggest challenge is to stay focused. It’s to have the discipline when there are so many competing things.” – Alexa Hirschfeld

7. Mindset

Just like you should get in a good space to improve your concentration, you also have to be in your good mind. This means quieting the negative chatter in your head. Whenever we’re faced with a task, self-doubt creeps into our thoughts. Whether it’s a critical voice or just plain fear, you have the power to turn those judgmental ideas around. You know you can do it and you can do it well. Don’t doubt your own abilities – there are enough people who do that already. Be positive and concentrate on working towards your unlimited potential.

There are many methods that can contribute to gaining and maintaining your concentration. Whether it’s music, a ritual, or just learning how to start, find what works for you. Using these tips will help you concentrate more efficiently, while supporting the task at hand. Allow your ability to concentrate grow you closer towards your goal!

How do you stay focused? Comment below!

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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leadership tips for new CEO
Image Credit: Midjourney

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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