Why Focus Feels Uncomfortable and Why Leaders Need It to Move Forward

ByJossie Haines

Clarity isn’t about doing more. Learn why focused priorities, clear decision filters, and intentional leadership help high-achieving leaders move forward with less stress and more impact.

We’re at the end of January, and I’ve been reflecting on something I shared recently.

Last year, I didn’t really lean into traditional yearly planning, which may surprise those of you who know I love planning. I didn’t feel called to plan something totally new as I was intentionally continuing to build on the same things I’d already put in motion.

That part felt right.

And yet, I realized this morning that I still needed to get very clear on what actually matters right now — so I’m focused on the right things to move the needle forward in the way I want to.

Because I know myself.

As high achievers, we often have no shortage of ideas.
There’s a long list of things we could be doing.
And if I’m honest, I’m pretty susceptible to shiny object syndrome.

I’m also a decent multitasker, but even when you’re “good” at it, trying to do everything at once almost always slows real progress.

So earlier today, I sat down and wrote out my top three goals for the quarter.
Not a long list. Just three.

And what surprised me wasn’t just the clarity, it was the discomfort.

There was real tension in deciding the order.
That feeling of, “But I want to do all of these things.”
The slight disappointment of acknowledging that not everything gets to be first.

And at the same time… it was grounding.

One of the things I’m intentionally leaning into this year is not doing too much.
I’m done glorifying busyness.

It’s okay if my schedule feels full, but I don’t want to live in a constant state of stress driven by an ever-expanding to-do list.

I’m choosing ease.

That doesn’t mean I won’t work hard at times.
It means I’m trusting that focus creates momentum, and that everything is an experiment.

Try it for 90 days.
Learn.
Tweak.
Adjust.

That kind of clarity requires trust — in yourself and in your strategy.

That’s why I’ve also been thinking a lot about how leaders define their “pillars” or focus areas.

The intention is usually good.
But often, they’re so broad that they don’t actually help with day-to-day decisions.

I saw one earlier today where a pillar was simply:
“Go-to-market.”

That’s not wrong, but it’s not specific enough to be useful.

If two competing priorities land on your desk tomorrow, does that pillar help you decide which one matters more?

Now compare that to something like:
“Go-to-market by prioritizing product-led growth”

That level of precision creates a filter.

It helps you:

  • decide what to say yes to
  • push back without guilt
  • prioritize without second-guessing yourself

If everything aligns to everything, then nothing is really guiding your choices.

And this kind of clarity matters a lot right now.

So many experienced engineering leaders I talk to are being asked to:

  • do more with fewer people
  • roll out AI and show real ROI
  • lead through ongoing uncertainty
  • prepare for performance conversations with unclear expectations

Without clear decision lenses, leaders end up reacting instead of leading.
They say yes too often.
They optimize for speed when quality is what actually matters.
They end up in decision fatigue due to a lack of real goals or pillars to make decisions by.
And a lot of this gets carried quietly, without much space to think it through out loud.

Over time, that takes a real toll because leaders are being asked to hold an enormous amount of complexity at once.

This is why one-on-one support can be so powerful at this stage.

It creates space to:

  • get clear on what actually matters in your specific context
  • think through AI, productivity, and quality without defaulting to trends
  • prepare for performance conversations with confidence
  • lead with intention instead of constant reactivity

If you’re an experienced technology leader and this resonates, I currently have availability for one-on-one coaching conversations.

You don’t need another leadership book or article.
You need clarity that holds up under pressure.

If this resonates, just hit reply and tell me a bit about what you’re navigating right now.
I’m happy to share whether one-on-one support might be helpful.

One last thing before I sign off.

This Wednesday is the first session of Leadership Impact Labs, and founding member pricing is coming to an end.

Impact Labs is for leaders who want:

  • ongoing leadership support, and training in a group setting
  • practical AI enablement tied to real leadership use cases
  • community with other experienced engineering leaders navigating similar challenges

If that sounds like a better fit, this is the final window at the founding rate.

You can find the details here: https://jossiehaines.com/engineering-leadership-coaching/

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More than anything, my hope for you this year isn’t that you do more.

It’s that you trust your focus enough to move forward with clarity, even when it feels a little uncomfortable.

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