How to Stay Focused in Long Meetings

You will continue to s*ck at leadership until you change this… …or at least that’s what I had to do. Ten years ago, when I was 33, I thought I was a great leader. I was not. I would run from meeting to meeting, half listening, half working on the thousand other priorities that demanded my attention. This mistake? I confused being physically present (or virtually on Zoom) with emotional presence. ...and it cost me. Team members felt left out and unheard and ultimately became frustrated. It hit me when I received a text message from a manager, “I know you’re busy, but could I just get 10 minutes of your time to make sure we’re on the same page.” …about the exact topic we had just had a meeting about. Presence is a superpower. Teams need more than your attendance. They need your focus. Your energy. Your understanding. Being emotionally present means looking people in the eye, listening to their concerns, and showing up with empathy and clarity. I used to think that because I showed up, I was doing enough. But really, I was checking a box and getting through my day. The minute I started genuinely being there, everything changed. Here are 5 simple hacks to be present for your team: 1️⃣ Check in Emotionally - Before the meeting, take a moment to assess your emotional state. If you're feeling stressed or distracted, acknowledge it internally to set it aside and be fully present for the team. 2️⃣ Engage in Eye Contact - Eye contact signals your team that you are engaged and care about what they say. It also helps to foster connection and make conversations more personal. 3️⃣ Reflect Back Key Points—Paraphrase what your team members say to ensure understanding. This not only shows that you are listening but also helps clarify and solidify key points in discussions. 4️⃣ Eliminate Distractions—Put away your phone, close unnecessary tabs on your computer, and silence notifications. Give your team your undivided attention and show them that their time and input matter. 5️⃣ Active Listening - Focus entirely on what’s being said without interrupting. Show that you’re engaged by nodding, maintaining eye contact, and asking clarifying questions. Once I became more present, productivity increased, trust deepened, and the team started solving problems without me. ❌ If you’re still ‘multitasking’ during meetings, it’s time to change. Lead with presence, not just proximity. This is the way. - Hanley p.s. if you enjoyed this post, repost and follow Ryan Hanley for ideas on how leaders Finish Big. #leadership #mindset

Here are my exact 10 tricks to make meetings work for me as an introvert. Meetings can be chaos. - Too many voices. - Too much noise. - Too little space to think. But introverts do not need to compete. → We lead by listening. → By thinking deeper. → By speaking with impact. ❌ It is not about saying the most. ✅ It is about saying what matters. Play to your strengths, and meetings start working for you, not against you. 1️⃣ Own your strengths from the start You do not need to prove yourself. You bring - depth, - strategy, and - focus. Own it. When you trust your strengths, others do too. Confidence is quiet, but people notice. 2️⃣ Set or ask for an agenda A plan changes everything. Know what you want to say before the meeting starts. Frame the discussion before it runs away. Preparation helps you avoid being caught off guard and saves mental energy. 3️⃣ Speak early to set the tone The longer you wait, the harder it gets. The trick ❓ Say something early. Even a quick thought. It makes the next one easier. Speaking up early stops overthinking from taking over. 4️⃣ Let your clarity do the talking No rambling. No fluff. You say what matters in fewer words, and people listen. Clear, concise input saves energy and keeps attention on your ideas. 5️⃣ Use questions to drive the discussion A sharp question shifts the room. One question can do more than a long speech. It lets you shape the conversation without needing to dominate it. 6️⃣ Leverage your bbservation skills You catch what others miss. - Trends, - gaps, - unspoken concerns. Summarize them, and people turn to you for insight. 7️⃣ Hold eye contact to command presence You do not have to talk the most to be heard. Eye contact keeps people tuned in. It signals confidence and influence, even in silence. 8️⃣ Follow up to reinforce your influence ❌ Your impact is not limited to the meeting. A quick email or follow-up conversation keeps your ideas moving. Thoughtful, well-crafted communication plays to your strengths. 9️⃣ Stay Present and Hold Your Ground 🛑 No rushing. No over-explaining. ✅ Say what matters. Then stop. Holding your space prevents unnecessary energy drains. 🔟 Shape the conversation, not just react to it Introverts lead by guiding, ✅ not competing. Influence with insight, ✅ not volume. Steering discussions lets you lead in a way that feels natural. Meetings do not have to drain you. ↳ Use your strengths. ↳ Listen deeply. ↳ Speak with purpose. ↳ Influence without the noise. That is how you make an impact. On your terms. 💪🏼 ————— PS: Who in your network would benefit from seeing this? PPS: Subscribe to my newsletter for more in-depth introvert tips.

📖 for ✈️ back 🏠 from 🇩🇪 = 🤯 Kahneman is a genius. Incredible insights into the human mind… and I think his insights explain why my brain physically hurts at the end of a long day of Zoom meetings. In the book, he describes two distinct systems operating in our minds: - System 1 = quick and automatic (think about being asked “what’s 2+2?”) - System 2 = complex, focused and effortful (think about renting a car in London and driving on the left side of the road for the first time … this required intense focus) Engaging System 2 leads to some of our best thinking. But, while engaging System 2, it’s difficult to simultaneously engage System 1, leaving you blind to the ‘obvious’ insights of System 1. I believe that a day filled with back-to-back Zoom meetings, each requiring rapid context switching every 30 minutes, can completely overwhelmed System 2. Jumping from topic to topic for centering to constantly reboot, engaging System 2 to adjust and refocus. This leads to cognitive fatigue, as System 2 is a limited resource that depletes quickly with use. So how can we make this better and reduce mental exhaustion? I have a few suggestions I am trying and would love your input: (1) Batch together similar meetings. Keep the focus on one area of the business consecutively for as long as possible. (2) Take 5 minute breaks between meetings to let System 2 reset. (3) Do some camera off meetings — when I’m looking at Zoom cameras of my colleagues (or staring at myself!) this engages System 1 and can be distracting for System-2-heavy-meetings. What other ideas have you implemented to conserve mental energy and be more effective through the day at engaging System 2?

Meetings turn into nightmares because of “shiny objects” – insignificant details that turn into drawn-out conversations. Executives are easily distracted by shiny objects. Here’s how to keep us on task and keep your meetings short: Early in my career, I made the mistake of presenting a chart with some “interesting” data in a presentation about something else. It was just a “quirky insight,” not the focus of the meeting. But my boss latched onto it like a kid with a shiny new toy. Suddenly, we were spending 30 minutes digging into how my “interesting” data was collected, if it was valid, what it meant, etc. We were stuck in an insufferable meeting that could have been avoided if I had just left the chart out of my presentation! As an executive, I have done the same thing with shiny objects. I have made my team dig into little nuggets of information they showed me as “supporting information” or “interesting details.” I am sure there were folks in those meetings who were cursing them for including those charts! They may have even been cursing themselves! It turns out that executives are wired to dive deep into anything that glitters, even if it’s not really gold. So, here is how you can avoid distracting your executives and extending your meetings: → Keep your focus sharp in meetings and presentations. Stick to the main idea. → Proactively address any potential shiny objects before they derail the conversation. → Wrap up side stories quickly and steer the conversation back to the main topic. How do you keep your presentations and documents laser-focused? Share your strategies below!

It’s not uncommon for me to have 7-8 meetings per day. I’m 100% present in these, not distracted in ANY way. How do I manage this packed schedule and focus on 3 brands, a podcast, newsletter, and everything else? Here’s my blend of strategy and tech that keeps me on top of everything: (TL;DR Get yourself an EA, mine is AWESOME) 1. My Executive Assistant My EA is central to my daily operations. She's in on most of my important meetings, taking detailed notes, making sure I miss nothing. This setup allows me to dive deep into discussions, fully engaged, with my entire mind focused on creating value, not on the next task or the notes I need to take. 2. Fireflies To catch anything that slips through, I use Fireflies, an AI notetaker. It's like having a backup; whatever my EA doesn't catch, Fireflies does, and vice versa. This duo means I can be 100% present in meetings, fully contributing without worrying about note-taking. 3. Streamlined Meeting Prep Before any meeting, I receive a concise brief: the meeting link, who it's with, three key points on why it's happening, and any relevant background info. This pre-meeting ritual means I walk into every meeting prepared, eliminating any "Who's this?" confusion and allowing me to focus on the substance right away. 4. Efficient Follow-Ups After each meeting, my EA drafts a follow-up with 3-4 crucial bullet points, outlining any necessary actions. This system keeps my energy directed towards productive work and value creation, cutting through the clutter of administrative tasks. 5. Continuous Learning and Sharing I'm always looking for ways to fine-tune this system, drawing inspiration from mentors like Nick Shackleford and learning from my own experiences. It's about making every minute count, focusing on value creation over administrative distractions.

Anyone else feel like Tuesdays are a non-stop meeting frenzy? For me, it's often a day packed with 1:1s and check-ins. As someone with "Relator" as my top Gallup strength, I value these moments to connect and build strong relationships. I also crave structure to ensure these meetings are productive and efficient. Here's how I tackle those long meeting days and make them work: Running Agenda: The North Star 🧭 * Keeping a shared, running agenda ensures we stay focused and cover all critical points. No more "wait, what were we supposed to talk about?" moments! Personal To-Do List: Commitment Tracker ✅ * I keep a separate to-do list during meetings to capture every commitment made. This way, I can follow up promptly and hold myself (and others) accountable. Digital Detox: Undivided Attention 📵 * Slack notifications off, phone out of reach. Giving my full attention to the person I'm speaking with is important to me. It fosters deeper connections and more meaningful conversations. Time Respect: Start & End On Time ⏰ * Respecting everyone's time is non-negotiable. Starting and ending meetings on schedule keeps the day flowing smoothly. Ultimately, these strategies help me leverage my "Relator" strength while maintaining productivity and structure. How do you make your long meeting days more efficient?