Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Yeah.

And the other book I love that touches on those kinds of things is this one, Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

Yeah.

And he talks about the disciplined pursuit of less, and it's this whole idea of just focusing on fewer things and doing them well, rather than trying to spread yourself thin across a whole bunch of things and doing none of them great.

So it's worth that exercise of stepping back and going, okay, what are the big rocks? What are the things that I do want to take most of my time and attention? What are the pebbles? And then what is the sand that just fits around everything else that literally you squeeze in around everything else? Because yeah, it can happen, but it's not the focus of my time.

The other book I love that touches on those kinds of things is this one, Essentialism by Greg McKeon, when he talks about the disciplined pursuit of less and it's this whole idea of just focusing on fewer things and doing them well rather than trying to spread yourself thin across a whole bunch of things and doing none of them great.

So it's a lesson that I constantly have to remind myself.

It's like, all right, I'm feeling overwhelmed or nothing's really getting done.

It's just that sometimes we stack them so high that they start to take a new shape.

But like Greg McKeown references in his book Essentialism, the power isn't always in acquiring answers.

You already have them.

They're in front of you.

And finally, fifth, focus and double down constantly on the most important things.

W- we're big readers of the concept of Essentialism by Meg- Greg McKeown a- a- and also of Channel Capacity.

You have to constantly know what are we focusing on, who are our best people, who are our best customers, and we're gonna put most of the resources into those types of people.

The eighth concept is your very best people in your best areas.

A- And it's very, very important that you don't try and do everything, but really clarify what your system or business has to be great at, what you have to really excel at.

Two of my favorite business authors, Jason Selk in Organized Today and Tomorrow, and Greg McKeown in Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, discuss a similar concept in different ways, and this goes to the concept of hardcore prioritization and channel capacity.

Jason Selk discusses the concept of channel capacity, i.e., you can only focus on so many things at a time, and Greg McKeown talks about the idea of focusing only on what is absolutely essential, e- essentially what is the one or two things you have to be great at, and ideally, what is the one thing.

Both these concepts are, are truly important for business and for health systems.

Yeah.

I mean, Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

I've never interviewed him.

That book's amazing, though.

Well, I am just finishing.

And this is a reread, but Essentialism, this is Abby, by Greg McKeown.

And I did a book club through this book this summer in sistership.

And it went so well.

What I do see some really effective leaders do is, this actually comes from Greg McKeown's work.

I don't know if either of you have read his book, Essentialism.

It's all about how people or leaders can focus on what's essential.

And I think educators, of all people, that's a really critical skill set.

You've already given us a couple of great books already, but what would you say is the best leadership book or podcast that you've read or listened to?

I think, oh gosh, I have a lot of books on my shelves in here.

I would say Essentialism by Greg McKeown is still probably the number one.

Question number three, the most challenging part of ed leadership?