HBR On Leadership How to Strengthen Your Focus When Demands Never Let Up
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Jan 7, 2026 
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Amishi Jha, a renowned neuroscientist and author of Peak Mind, delves into the challenges of maintaining focus in an increasingly distracting world. She discusses how our brains are designed to wander and how modern technology exacerbates this issue. Amishi introduces the three attention systems and shares practical mindfulness techniques to strengthen focus at work. By implementing simple exercises like the STOP method, listeners can enhance their leadership skills and foster better relationships in high-pressure environments.
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Distractibility Is Built In
- The brain's distractibility is a designed feature, not a flaw, and predates modern technology.
- Modern tech amplifies demand on attention, but wandering mind existed even among medieval monastics.
Three Systems Power Attention
- Attention comprises three systems: orienting (flashlight), alerting (floodlight), and executive control (juggler).
- Effective focus depends on coordinating these systems, not just narrowing attention.
Research Origins From Personal Struggle
- High-demand groups—doctors, firefighters, soldiers—are as vulnerable to mind wandering as anyone else.
- Jha discovered meditation while struggling with attention as a young parent and brought it into lab studies.
