Short Story Long: Life Lessons from Leaders, Coaches, and Entrepreneurs
Short Story Long shares life-changing stories of growth, resilience, and reinvention from leaders, coaches, and everyday people navigating pivotal turning points. Hosted by leadership coach Beki Fraser, each episode explores the moments that shaped someone's path and the lessons we can all learn.
Every other week, Beki follows up with a Skill Builder episode that breaks down insights from the previous story into practical tools, reflection prompts, and leadership actions.
Whether you're building a business, transitioning into a new career, or learning to lead with greater purpose, this podcast offers real stories and practical strategies to help you grow. New episodes every other week.
Short Story Long: Life Lessons from Leaders, Coaches, and Entrepreneurs
The Focus Paradox: Do Less, Achieve More - Skill Builder
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Show Notes (199 words):
What’s the difference between staying busy and making meaningful progress? Focused leadership reshapes the way we work—and how we feel about that work.
It’s easy to default to being available, involved, and responsive. But the most impactful leaders aren’t doing more—they’re doing what matters most. With candid insights from my own challenges staying focused, learn practical tools to help you create space for real progress: from using daily “focus filters” to distinguish the essential from the expected, to setting boundaries that protect clarity and energy.
Ready to transform how you lead? Subscribe, share this episode with a fellow leader, and integrate who you are with how you lead.
Connect with Beki on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/BekiFraser
Learn more about her coaching: TheIntrovertedSkeptic.com
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Get her book, C.O.A.C.H. Y.O.U.: The Introverted Skeptic’s Guide to Leadership - Amazon
Short Story Long is produced by Crowned Culture Media LLC
In my last episode, I spoke with Naaman about choosing his next career path and developing the focus and intentionality to get there. His self-awareness and commitment to his goals. It stayed with me. Hi, I'm Becky, welcome to Short Story Long. In this podcast, we discuss ways you can integrate who you are into how you lead. Today, I am offering strategies for building your skills as a leader.
Speaker 1:Let's break down how clarity, focus and intentional progress are so important. Focus isn't just helpful for leaders. It's essential. Without it, even experienced, capable leaders can find themselves stretched too thin, responding to everyone else's needs while quietly losing touch with their own priorities. It's easy to feel productive while staying busy. It's harder and far more valuable to choose what actually matters and stay with it. Focus doesn't just happen. It's something we create on purpose. Focus doesn't just happen. It's something we create on purpose.
Speaker 1:One strategy I often share with clients is a simple but not easy practice of mental filtering. Before the day gets moving, pause and ask what matters most today? What can wait? What's going to move things forward, not just keep me in motion? Naaman talked about using AI to help chart his day or week. If that isn't your go-to, you can take as little as five quiet minutes to answer those questions and completely shift the tone of your day. You start leading with intention instead of reacting from habit or the noise from others' priorities.
Speaker 1:Those who know me recognize that I struggle with keeping focus. Not only does my attention wander all over the place, even in the middle of a conversation, but I also have a strength around ideation. That means random dots will come together in my mind as a cool problem or a solution to a problem that's been hanging out with me. There are strategies you may already use to protect that focus. I make an effort to use these myself. It might mean blocking time for deep work, limiting how often you check your email, or being more intentional about which meetings you attend and, importantly, which ones you don't. When you model boundaries and protect your own clarity, it gives your team permission to do the same.
Speaker 1:Another helpful tool is setting what I call focus filters. These are short guiding questions you use when opportunities or requests come up. Short guiding questions you use when opportunities or requests come up. For example, does this support where I want to go? Is this essential or just expected? Filters like this make it easier to say no without guilt, because you're saying yes to something else that matters more. It's a conscious choice. When I'm under a tight deadline, I find myself using these filters intensely to stay on track.
Speaker 1:The pressure to be constantly available or involved in everything is real. The leaders who make the most meaningful impacts are not the ones who do the most. They're the ones who make clear, aligned decisions about where to put their time, attention and energy. Naaman is enjoying his music, but he's recognized the value of building the foundations he wants in other areas. Maybe later his focus will turn toward a business with his music. I know I'll watch for that.
Speaker 1:Focused leadership isn't about being rigid or controlling. It's about making space for clarity, for creativity, for work that actually moves the mission forward. And when you lead with that kind of focus, you don't just perform better, you feel better. So does your team, as always.
Speaker 1:Here's my skill builder challenge for you. If you choose to accept, take a moment to consider or even journal, if that's your thing what is the most important thing for you right now. At this moment, the is singular, so I'm asking you to choose one critical priority. Once you have that clear, consider how much time and focus you have given that important thing today or in this past week. As you tighten your focus, what will you be willing to let go, even if it's for a specific amount of time, in order to get momentum on that? One important thing as you let go of one thing and commit to another more deeply, an amazing cycle begins. Thanks for listening. If you found this episode helpful, share it with someone who could benefit from it. Until next time, I'm Becky Fraser, reminding you to integrate who you are with how you lead. Okay, bye.
