The Leadership Contract Field Guide

Chapter 4The World in Which You Lead

A favorite quote of mine comes from Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset, who once said, “Tell me what you pay attention to, and I'll tell you who you are.” This quote applies directly to all of us in leadership roles. I've learned when working with leaders to ask what they pay attention to while they are leading. What I've gathered is that truly accountable leaders approach their roles differently; they pay attention to different things than less accountable ones do. I will come back to this theme later in the book; for now, I want you to think about what you pay attention to as a leader.

Here's a quick activity to start this chapter.

Activity 4.1: Tell Me What You Pay Attention to

10 minutes to complete

I'd like you to close your eyes and think about a typical week in your current leadership role. Consider all the activities, tasks, meetings, and projects that demand your time and energy. Got it? Great! Now I'd like you to answer the following question:

What do you spend most of your time paying attention to in your leadership role over the course of a week?

Your answer to the question above tells me and others a lot about the kind of leader you are. When I ask leaders like you this question, it becomes clear that many leaders are ...