I have been thinking a lot lately about a maxim that Seth Godin likes to use: “What is it for?”

That phrase was mentioned often in his altMBA program I did a couple of years ago, and it can be a good focusing question for any of us.

What does all this mean for leaders? Here are a few areas where you can apply “What is it for?”
• Day-to-day scheduling and prioritizing
• Bigger-picture thinking
• Better communication to others and in how we listen

‘What is it for?’ in our daily work

So much of our days is regimented by our calendars or ad hoc demands by a boss or client. We do things the way they’ve always been done because that’s what keeps us out of trouble and takes the least amount of energy and time. Most of us, me included, really don’t stop enough to ask, “Wait, what is this for?”

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