Sharpen Your Focus

Quick Summary

In this increasingly chaotic and demanding world, effective, focused leadership has never been more difficult or crucial. As a leader, you must continuously sharpen your focus in order to achieve greater clarity for precise and strategic leadership. In a refreshing break from the ordinary, Dan Nielsen provides proven strategies for achieving and communicating greater clarity, illustrating each concept through powerful imagery that features his personal photography throughout America the beautiful.

Presentation Outline

Nielsen begins by briefly describing how he’s had the privilege of traveling extensively all across America and has taken over 250,000 photographs during those travels. Sharpen Your Focus is a unique presentation, based on crucial building blocks of leadership excellence and powerfully illustrated by beautiful photographs taken during Nielsen’s travel and experiences all across America the beautiful.

Nielsen also establishes the premise that in an increasingly chaotic and demanding world, it’s easy for leaders’ focus to slip, often resulting in emphasis on activity more than strategy, which ultimately reduces effectiveness. He then address the three areas that every leader must clarify for their team or organization:

• Where we are now
• Where we are going
• How we will get there

Using powerful and thought-provoking analogies that he conveys through imagery, Nielsen explains 8 actionable strategies for sharpening focus and achieving and communicating greater clarity in those areas:

1. View from different angles – get the full picture
2. Take frequent snapshots – take notice of everything
3. Be an explorer – see and experience things firsthand
4. Frame your masterpiece – communicate your vision
5. Showcase your unique style – define, nurture and exemplify your culture
6. Make a plan – be intentional about your priorities
7. Use the right tools – seek out the best people, skills and resources
8. Be ready to adapt – be okay with changing methods as times change

Dan concludes by briefly reaffirming the necessity of achieving leadership clarity and communicating your vision, and he encourages leaders that it definitely is possible to become more effective in the midst of the chaos. He then provides information regarding additional resources, and finishes with a strong and compelling call to action for each event attendee to internalize and apply these crucial strategies in their leadership.

Target Audience

Sharpen Your Focus is relevant for all leaders who realize the importance of focus and are seeking greater clarity in order to increase their effectiveness and lead their teams and organizations toward success.

Whether they are feeling overwhelmed and ineffective in the face of this increasingly difficult and demanding leadership environment, or they are poised and in control – all leaders can and should reaffirm these proven leadership principles and learn from the unique perspectives offered through this presentation.

Possible Formats

This presentation can be delivered as a keynote or a leadership workshop. Length can range from 45 minutes to 2 hours, completely customizable to your group’s needs. The ideal keynote length is 60-90 minutes.

Intended Outcomes

• Participants will realize the critical importance of gaining sharper focus and communicating greater clarity to improve their effectiveness as leaders.
• Leaders will be equipped with relevant and actionable strategies and additional resources for bringing clarity to their organization and achieving greater effectiveness. These strategies will be easily understood and remembered thanks to the powerful imagery reinforcing each one.
• Participants will be refreshed and encouraged by the unique material and will be equipped to increase their personal leadership effectiveness or that of their leadership team.

Topic Authority

• Dan Nielsen has been developing his own leadership skills throughout his life, of which over forty years have been spent in major leadership roles. He has thirty years of experience as CEO or founder, leading his organizations from the ground up (to see his full bio, please click here).
• Nielsen firmly believes that everyone – no matter title or role – is a leader, and that intentional leadership development is an incredible strategy for success for every individual and organization. He knows that priceless lessons can be learned from the world around us if we simply take the time to look.
• Nielsen has spent decades traveling across and photographing America the beautiful. He has seen and experienced every corner of the nation, and has taken over 250,000 photographs in the process. He is always looking for leadership and life lessons in the things he sees, and is passionate about sharing those lessons with others!