Success Advice
This Single Habit That Will Keep You Successful in the 21st Century

I am always curious what separates the successful vs. everyone else. My thought was if I could learn from how they think, model their behaviors, adopt their habits, I would eventually produce the same results they produced.
Because after all, they are no different than me, right? They may have an amazing network and a lot of money, but we all have the same mind. So, I figured studying them would help alter my thinking for the results I wanted in my life.
As I continued to study successful people that I know personally, people who have lived in the past, and others that I am sure you’ve seen on TV, I quickly realized the separation between those who accomplish their goal vs. those who don’t. Two words: controlled attention. Some people may also call this focus or concentration. To some, this may seem like an elusive attribute to create an abundant amount of success in life, but I’ve found that nearly every successful person has this unique quality.
Andrew Carnegie, the American industrialist, considered one of the wealthiest Americans in history, attributes his success to this very attribute. As the son of a migrant, he worked many odd jobs and eventually built one of the most successful business empires of all time.
In fact, it’s been said that government officials thought something was fishy because of how quickly he accumulated his wealth. So the US Senate commissioned Andrew Carnegie for questioning. As officials questioned him, Carnegie revealed his simple secret. Carnegie said, “I can keep my mind focused on something for five minutes at a stretch.” Carnegie had mastered the ability to keep his mind focused and attentive to start and complete a task in its entirety without distraction.
This simple but profound answer makes sense. I mean, after all, if you can’t focus your thoughts on a desired outcome, then nothing can progress in life – whether it be in your health, productivity, or wealth.
In an article published on the Napoleon Hill Foundation website, Dr. Angel L. Rivera writes that controlled attention is defined as “the act of coordinating all the faculties of the mind and directing their combined power to a definite end; an act that can only be achieved by the strictest form of self-discipline.” In addition, he writes that effective concentration “requires that the attention be focused, fully controlled and directed toward a definite end.”
Whether it be starting and finishing a task, giving your undivided attention to another person while in conversation, or even something as simple as sticking with one idea until completion – this is a quality that all successful people have adopted.
Now you may be asking yourself how I can develop my attention, focus, and concentration? With all the pings, social media wormholes, and demands in life, it almost seems like focus is the last thing our current society fosters. Not to mention our mind wanders nearly 50% of our day, according to a recent Harvard study! So the odds are definitely stacked up against us.
If you don’t feel like you have this attribute now, or you feel like you need more of it to get your goals and tasks completed, stick with me! New science concludes that focus and concentration are skills that can be learned!
In Dr. Amishi Jha’s book titled, Peak Mind, she discusses that by investing just 12 minutes a day, five days a week, you can increase your attention and working memory through a simple mindfulness exercise. So, for a small investment of your time, you can reap an enormous award in just about every area of your life. Now, if you are looking for a few other tricks to keep your focus, here are some:
1. Eliminate Distractions
Before starting any task, you have to set up your environment for success to lessen the likelihood of distractions. This could be putting all your devices on Do Not Disturb, putting your phone in another room, or waking up early before anyone else is up to get a task done. Personally, I have to put my phone in another room sometimes because I will unconsciously pick it up and start scrolling on social media, which ultimately distracts me from the task at hand. Clearing your space to free up distractions is a great way to pave your path to success!
2. Take Short Breaks
Working for an extended period of time can deter our concentration. An excellent way to alleviate this problem is by taking short breaks. I typically work for about 30 minutes with no distractions and then take a short break for 5 min. Whether it be getting a snack or looking outside the window – this gives my brain time to recuperate. After the break is over and I get back to work, I’m refreshed relaxed, and my focus seems to increase.
3. Exercise
Many of us attribute the benefits of exercise to our physical bodies. However, there’s a ton of research on how regular exercise can actually improve our overall mental health – which includes our focus and productivity. Whenever I have a challenging task that requires my full undivided attention, I typically always schedule my task right after my exercise routine! This simple trick has accelerated the productivity of all my tasks and goals.
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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.

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:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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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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