Index
accomplishments, 86–87
adrenaline, 42
agency, 112–113
Alzheimer’s disease, 43
anxiety
about screwing up, 87
causes of, 44
and cognitive functioning, 112
and empathic concern, 24–25
and feeling overwhelmed, 67, 69
and prevention focus, 87–88
attention. See also awareness; focus/focusing
to breathing, 69
and creativity, 34
directing, 3
and distractions, 55–61
and excellence, 36
exercises to strengthen, 8–9
and leadership, 35–36
management of, 121–130
and mindfulness, 47–48
modes of, 3–4
phases of, 57–60
and power hierarchy, 29–30
to social context, 28
word origins of, 18
attention economy, 134
Authentic Leadership Development course, 10–11
automated social hierarchy detection, 30
auto-responders, 124, 126. See also email
awareness
defined, 136
expanding your, 8–9
self-awareness, 5, 6–7, 10–11, 20, 44–45. See also emotional intelligence
systems, 34–35
backup roles, 129
brain
and creativity, 33
effects of stress on, 43
gamma waves, 33
hypothalamus, 20
limbic, 112
neural networks, 33
orbitofrontal cortex, 20
positive mood and, 13
prefrontal cortex, 11, 24, 26–29, 112
resting the, 46–47
and social sensitivity, 28–29
training to focus better, 134–139
breathing, focusing on, 9, 69, 135
calm focus, 9
Calming Technology Lab, 9
choice, 112–113
chronic stress, 42–43
cognitive empathy, 19–20, 27, 28
communication
channels, choosing, 125–126
with colleagues and loved ones, 113–115
email, 75, 77, 78, 123–125, 136–137
timely responses to, 123–125, 126
commute, 138
compassion, 25, 99, 105, 115–116
compassion fatigue, 24
control, 112–113. See also self-control
coworkers
communicating with, 113–115
as distractions, 66
interacting with, 71–73
creativity, 33–34, 144, 145, 146, 148–149
daydreaming, 145–147
deadlines
and productivity, 103
renegotiating, 114
default mode network (DMN), 67, 144–145
dementia, 43
digital detox, 46
diligence, 35–36
direct attention network, 67
distraction
boundaries against, 70–71, 78–80
case studies, 75–80
costs of, 122
and coworkers, 71–73
email, 75, 77, 78, 123–125, 136–137
historical examples of, 56–57
and multitasking, 66–67
noticing, 57–60
principles to remember for, 74–75
and self-care, 73
stress from, 43
susceptibility to, 16
dopamine, 136–137
doubt, 87
email, 75, 77, 78, 123–125, 136–137
emergency monitoring, 128–129
emotional exhaustion, 43
emotional intelligence, 4–5, 18, 35, 43–49
emotions
from feeling overwhelmed, 67–68
observing and labeling, 111–112
empathy, 18–28
deficit, 35
empathic concern, 19, 21, 24–25
learning, 22
and too much focus, 143–145
during work crunch, 109–116
Eriksen Flanker Task, 16
etiquette, 28
executive function, 11
exploitation, 32
exploration, 32
fight-or-flight system, 112, 134
focus/focusing. See also attention; distraction; unfocus
calm, 9
case study, 75–78
choosing, 58
defined, 136
and environment, 122–125
improving, 55–61
lack of, 43
prevention, 86–88
problems with, 121–130
promotion, 86–87
on strategy, 32–33
strengthening, 35–36
and success, 41
tips for, 97–105
on work, 85–93
during work crunch, 109–116
future goals, 15
gamma waves, 33
Gates, Bill, 31
Gates, Melinda, 31
goals, future, 15
help, asking for, 114–115
hypothalamus, 20
identity, taking on different, 148–149
if-then planning, 91–92
information overload, 36
inner voice, 4–5
innovation, 33–34
inquisitiveness, 20
inspiration, 103
instant messaging, 125
insula, 5
interruptions. See distraction
inward focus, 3–18
knowledge work, 122
labeling, emotions, 111–112
leaders
and empathy, 19–26
natural, 18–19
with outward focus, 31
leadership
and attention, 35–36
and mindfulness, 143
skills, 36
tasks of, 3
limbic brain, 112
loss avoidance, 87–88
loved ones, communicating with, 113–115
“marshmallow test,” 14
meetings, 137
mind-body connection, 100
mindfulness, 17–18, 47–48, 57, 133–139, 143
moral judgments, 25
motivation, 86–90
multitasking, 66–67
naps, 147–148
negative thoughts, 111
neural networks, 33
office culture, 122–123
orbitofrontal cortex, 20
outlining, 102–103
overseas assignments, 28
oxytocin, 24
personal interactions, 71–72
perspective, thinking from another person’s, 148–149
pessimism, 12–13
positive constructive daydreaming (PCD), 145–147
positive thinking, 12–13
power hierarchy, 29–30
prefrontal cortex, 11, 24, 26–29, 112
prevention focus, 86–88
priority setting, 113
procrastination, 85–93
productivity strategies, 97–106
promotion focus, 86–87
“psychological halloweenism,” 149
relationships, building, 26–30
resistance, 110
self-awareness, 4–5, 6–11, 20, 44–45. See also emotional intelligence
self-compassion, 99, 105, 115–116
self-control
exercises to strengthen, 16–18
self-management, 46–49
self-reliance, 114–115
self-restraint, 15–18
self-revelation, 10–11
sensory impressions, 7
sleep
deprivation, 46–47
social and emotional learning (SEL), 17–18
social contagion, 71–72
social context, 28
social hierarchy, 29–30
social networks, 29
social relationships, 18
social sensitivity, 26–30
somatic markers, 5
StayFocused, 79–80
strategy, 32–33
stress
chronic, 42–43
and digital media, 46
distractions as source of, 66
management of, 43–49
negative effects of, 42–43
self-compassion during, 115–116
sources of, 44
success, 41
support, asking for, 114–115
support staff, 126–127
systems awareness, 34–35
systems monitoring, 128–129
teams, attention management problems in, 121–130
technology, as source of stress, 46
temporal-parietal junction, 26–27
Tenacity (video game), 8–9
time management, 76–78, 98, 121–130
True North groups, 10–11
victim mentality, 112
vigilance, 34
waking up, 134–135
work
crunches, focusing energy during, 109–116
making progress on, 101–105
practicing mindfulness at, 133–139
reasons for putting off, 85–93
routines, 90
workload, 42
workplace distractions, 65–82
work processes, 99–102