Tuning Out the Noise

Every manager deals with noise—Slack pings, shifting priorities, endless opinions, hot takes on LinkedIn. Noise isn’t just loud. It’s distracting.

And distraction is expensive.

Leaders who can’t filter the signal from the noise lose focus, lose clarity, and eventually lose trust. Because teams follow your attention. If you’re scattered, they will be too.

Tuning out the noise isn’t about ignoring input—it’s about intentionality.

You need to:

• Know what actually matters this week.

• Create blocks of time where you think, not just react.

• Push back on urgency that isn’t real.

• Lead with your plan, not someone else’s crisis.

Focus is a leadership skill. So is silence.

If you want to be heard, you can’t always be listening to everything.