As we learn to adapt to an information-rich, knowledge-poor world, focus becomes an all-important part of our success. In his most recent book, “Focus”, Daniel Goleman, he of Emotional Intelligence fame, takes the reader deeper into what it takes to have enough focus to drive excellence.
- My favorite part of the book speaks to these three kinds of focus: Inner Focus, Other Focus and Outer Focus.
Inner focus keeps us in tune to our intuitions. Without it we are rudderless. - Other focus connects us to others in our world. Without it we are clueless.
- Outer focus allows us to understand the larger systemic world. Without which we would be blindsided.
Whether we are leaders by position, by influence or both, it is the combination of all three areas of focus that provide us the balance necessary to achieve sustainable success in what we do.
Enjoy the book!
Recommended Reading From Rick

By Rick Lochner
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August 26, 2024
In our most recent leadership discussion, we continue the conversation around the difference between perfectionist leaders and imperfectly excellent leaders through the lens of how they lead their teams. An aspect of leading with imperfect excellence is focusing on both the outcomes and the process by which the outcomes are achieved. A book that we frequently refer to is, What the CEO wants you to know: How your company really works by Ram Charan. All businesses fundamentally work the same, so it is important that leaders truly understand some of the common business principles Ram Charan lays out in this book. Our favorite parts of the book are chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 4 speaks to understanding the whole business and how all the moving parts work together. By including some basic questions to guide the business leader through, the chapter helps the leader understand how well the business is really working. Chapter 5 is a favorite because it addresses that in this new reality, it is about priorities necessary to cut through the complexity to focus on the things that really matter. It means, by definition, that the business leader must say “no” to something in order to say “yes” to the priorities that matter most. Click here to read more. Enjoy the book!

By Rick Lochner
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July 28, 2024
A little over four years ago, we wrote a short piece about citizenship and made our recommended reading at that time to be the U. S. Constitution. It gets thrown around in conversations rather loosely and it is apparent that many have not read it either at all or in the last ten years. As we approach another highly contested political climate, the term “rights” is getting thrown around quite liberally by all sides of the political discourse. With that in mind, we are recommending this month’s reading of the Bill of Rights, also known as the first ten amendments to the constitution. We said it then and we’ll repeat it here, leaders read ! Regardless of where you land in the debate, be there because you read the source material and are informed rather than merely repeating what someone else said or wrote! Click here to be informed. Lead Well!!

By Rick Lochner
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June 25, 2024
Still More Revelations for Making Leadership a Way of Life Every five years since we started RPC Leadership Associates, Inc, we’ve published a collection of our most popular articles along with several never before published articles. These quick reads are geared towards helping leaders become the most effective leaders they can be through the lens of individual leadership, leader relationships and organizational leadership. Our third installment, “ Here’s What I’m Sayin’: Still More Revelations for Making Leadership a Way of Life” is now available on Amazon here. What makes this edition special is that we had a lot more to choose from because of the pandemic. During that time, we doubled down on our writing to help inspire and support those leaders who were navigating unfamiliar territory. It was actually harder this time to pare down to the most popular articles to make way for four new, never before published articles in support of leaders in their own unique leadership journeys. Order a copy for yourself or maybe you know a leader who may benefit from a gift of leadership insights that can support their success! Lead Well and Enjoy the Book!
