Where You Place Your Attention Matters
The Treaty between the EU and the UK over Gibraltar is finally giving us some clarity, and yet, it also reminds us just how much sits outside our control. The finer details will take months to surface. Political tides may shift. Promises will be tested by practicalities. The uncertainty isn’t gone, it has simply changed form.
As business owners, it’s tempting to fixate on these big developments. They feel important; and they are. But they’re also largely outside our control. And spending too much time ruminating on them can quietly drain us and become all consuming.
Because it’s not just border politics. Every day, we face issues beyond our reach: new legislation, competitor actions, market trends, customer behaviour, staff turnover, illness, family responsibilities, global events. All of it lives in what Stephen Covey calls the Circle of Concern – things we care about, but cannot directly change.
The more we fixate on them, the more frustration can grow. Not because we’re weak or negative, but because our minds are wired to search for control. The problem is when we look for it in the wrong places.
Understanding the Three Circles
Stephen Covey’s Circles of Concern and Influence offer a helpful frame. A third circle – Control – is often added to make the distinction even clearer:
The Circle of Concern includes everything we care about but can’t directly affect: economic conditions, government policy, the past, how others behave and react, even the weather. Trying to control this circle leads to frustration, worry, and often, paralysis.
The Circle of Influence includes the things we can affect indirectly: our business relationships, reputation, team culture, supplier networks, client loyalty. These take time to build but can be shaped through our actions.
The Circle of Control is the smallest circle, but most powerful: how we lead, how we respond, the standards we hold, the decisions we make, the effort we bring, how we spend our time, where we place our attention.
When we focus on what we control and influence, we build momentum. When we dwell in what we can’t control, we lose energy. Over time, our sense of agency shrinks – and so does our resilience.
“Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging, and magnifying.” Reactive people, Covey warned, “focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern… Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes and increased feelings of victimisation.”
Before reading on, take a moment to reflect:
Do you naturally lean towards a particular circle in the model above? How does that serve you?
What is in your Circle of Control right now?
What is occupying you in your Circle of Concern that you can let go of?
What Starts Small Can Grow
A powerful insight for business leaders is this: action within your Circle of Control can ripple outward. The choices you make – how you communicate, how you treat people, how you invest your time – affect not only you, but your team, your clients, and the wider business environment you operate in.
Consistently showing up well in your Circle of Control builds credibility, trust, and influence. And that influence, over time, allows you to shape more than you could before. It expands your Circle of Influence – and with it, sometimes, even your Circle of Control.
In practice, this might mean that by handling uncertainty with calm and clarity, your team begins to engage more proactively. Or that by resolving a customer issue with integrity, you rebuild trust that leads to new opportunities. Small acts compound, and quiet consistency earns influence.
So while it can feel narrow to focus only on what you control, that focus is anything but passive. It’s what creates the conditions for your leadership to grow.
Letting Go Isn’t Weakness, It’s Strength
Letting go of the Circle of Concern is not the same as ignoring it. It’s not about sticking your head in the sand or pretending everything is fine. It’s about consciously choosing not to spend your best energy and headspace where it won’t make a difference.
Many business owners are natural problem-solvers; analytical, focused, driven. These strengths can become liabilities if we keep trying to solve problems that aren’t solvable – at least, not by us, and not right now.
That’s when rumination creeps in: What if the deal changes? What if my competitor undercuts me? What if my best staff member leaves? These are real concerns. But they only help us when they lead to productive action. Beyond that, they just deplete us.
Letting go takes discipline. But it frees you to reinvest that energy into something useful – your people, your priorities, your next move.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Start small. If something is keeping you awake at night, ask yourself:
Is this in my control?
Can I influence it?
Or do I simply care about it?
Then act accordingly. If it’s in your control, take action. If you can influence it, engage, explore, plan. If it’s only in your concern, acknowledge it, then let it be.
You don’t need to solve everything, But where you choose to place your attention? That’s leadership.
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