Eight Seconds

Eight seconds. According to Microsoft, that’s the average length of a human's attention span.

Eight seconds is also a 1994 film starring the late Luke Perry. If you're looking for a film to watch this weekend, you're welcome. If not, I'm not sorry for making you think about Beverly Hills 90210.

Shortening attention spans are having a big impact on all aspects of organizational life. It's never been more difficult to capture and hold the attention of people: customers, constituents, church members, volunteers, employees. No one is immune to this phenomenon.

Why is this happening? There are lots of reasons. Mobile phones, social media, 24-hour news, high-speed internet, hoverboards, designer dogs, the war against gluten. I'm sure it all contributes in one way or another.

The bottom line is this: people no longer tolerate boredom. As a leader, this is a new battle you have to fight every day. Gone are the days where your team will listen to you and follow you just because you have a title.

So, how can you learn to fight this battle against boredom? Listen to the next episode of Here's What I'm Seeing.

This week, we talk about how NOT to be a boring leader. If you make people snooze, everyone loses. This is the episode you need to help you become a more engaging leader.