Focus The Hidden Driver of Excellence

New York Times Bestseller

“A powerful guide for taking control of our attention.” —Tony Schwartz, author of The Power of Full Engagement and CEO of The Energy Project

From the author of the #1 international bestseller Emotional Intelligence, comes a groundbreaking look at today’s scarcest resource and the secret to high performance and fulfillment: attention.

For more than two decades, psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman has been scouting the leading edge of the human sciences for what’s new, surprising, and important. In Focus, he delves into the neuroscience of attention in all its varieties, presenting a long-overdue discussion of this little-noticed and underrated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life.

Attention works much like a muscle: use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows. In an era of unstoppable distractions, Goleman persuasively argues that now more than ever we must learn to sharpen focus and improve our self-control if we are to contend with, let alone thrive in, a complex world. Goleman analyzes attention research as a threesome: inner focus for self-awareness, other focus for empathy, and outer focus for navigating the wider world. Goleman shows why high-performers need all three kinds of focus, as demonstrated by rich case studies from fields as diverse as competitive sports, education, the arts, and business. Those who excel rely on what Goleman calls smart practice that helps them improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence.

Combining cutting-edge research with practical findings, Focus reveals what distinguishes experts from amateurs and stars from average performers, delivering a master class in high performance.

This essential guide to the science of attention reveals:

• The Anatomy of Attention: Explore the hidden world of your mind, from the value of a wandering mind to the two distinct mental systems—top-down and bottom-up—that compete for your focus.


• The Power of Willpower: Learn why willpower is a stronger predictor of life success than IQ and how to train this vital mental muscle for yourself and your children.


• Leadership and Focus: Understand how leaders direct attention, why a triple focus is essential for navigating strategy, and what distinguishes great leaders from the rest.


• Smart Practice and Mindfulness: Go beyond the 10,000-hour rule with cutting-edge techniques, from smart practice that builds excellence to mindfulness exercises that calm your mind and sharpen your concentration.