Joseph McCormack- How to Quit Being a Scattered Leader
From The Green Notebook
Intro
This chapter explores the detrimental impact of distractions on leadership effectiveness, emphasizing the need for clarity and focus. It introduces 'brief' as a means to slice through chaos and 'quiet' as a safeguard that nurtures clear thinking.
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Joe McCormack returns to the show to discuss his newest book: Quiet Works: Making Silence the Secret Ingredient of the Workday . Together, Joe and Joe explore how quiet time enhances leadership, reduces distractions, and improves communication. They share insights on managing workplace noise, the balance between collaboration and focus, and practical strategies to help leaders and teams achieve clarity and purpose through intentional quiet moments. They also discuss:
- The curse of the scattered leader
- The problems of Too Much Information (TMI) and Too Much Collaboration (TMC)
- Why leaders need to take short intentional breaks during the workday
- Practical steps leaders can take to reduce noise and improve decision-making, including the importance of quiet reflection.
- Tools like journaling, scheduling quiet moments, and establishing boundaries to protect time for deep thinking.
Whether you're looking to boost productivity or improve decision-making, this conversation offers actionable tools to help you thrive in today’s noisy world.
Joe McCormack is the founder and president of The BRIEF Lab, and he’s passionate about helping professionals gain focus and clarity in a world of too much information, too much collaboration, and too much noise.
As an entrepreneur, marketing executive, and author, he is recognized for his work in concise, strategic communication and leadership development.
Joe has written three books—a trilogy—that outline and promote the personal and professional benefits of clear thinking and concise communication.
His podcast, “Just Saying,” helps professionals become effective and efficient communicators in an age of information overload.
Before his entrepreneurial ventures, Joe served as Senior Vice President at Ketchum, a top-five marketing agency in Chicago. He received a BA in English Literature from Loyola University of Chicago where he graduated with honors. He is fluent in Spanish and has broad international experience. Joe and his wife Julie split their time between Southern Pines, North Carolina, and Chicago, Illinois.
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