Most Leaders Don't Lack Information…They Lack Focus
The hardest part of clarity is knowing what to leave out.
Many leaders fall into the trap of assuming clarity means adding more: more explanation, more data, more information…more, more, more.
Clarity, though, comes from precision.
While working on a set of fall images from Iroquois Park in Louisville, I spent hours deciding how to focus each frame so the viewer’s eye landed where it should.
Make it too obvious and the photo feels forced.
Make it too vague and the viewer decides what matters instead.
The same principle applies in leadership.
Too much focus everywhere creates focus nowhere.
Clarity depends on judgment…choosing what deserves attention and what should quietly fade into background.
That choice is what gives shape to the whole picture.
So what does it look like to lead with that kind of clarity in practice?
Here are four lessons that continue to guide my own leadership.
1. Know what you want to focus on
If you’ve ever been in a meeting, maybe a strategy meeting, you’ve probably listened to someone talk about several different things at once and walked away understanding only that whatever they’re describing is complex.
Everything seems important, and nothing stands out.
What is the one thing you want people to walk away understanding or acting on? Focus on that, only providing the necessary context.
This doesn’t mean other parts of your idea, policy, or change are unimportant, but when you’re communicating it, you need to pick one thing and make sure people understand it.
Clarity starts with focus.
2. Apply the right amount of clarity
Every audience and situation requires a different level of detail because…
too much detail will make people overwhelmed and in the process ignoring all of it
but too little detail? People are left guessing, likely assuming the worst (unfortunately), and at best, filling in information as they see fit.
The goal is to make thoughtful, proportionate adjustments that reveal what matters without overwhelming the picture.
The more we say…the less people understand.
Clarity comes from knowing what to hold back.
I was recently helping a colleague communicate some data that they had been working on. It was good work and represented a lot of heartfelt effort.
They were discouraged though because their superior never seemed to full understand. Honestly, I was overwhelmed just looking at all the notes.
So I sat down and asked: What is the one thing that your boss needs to know.
They knew immediately what their boss needed to know but they quickly exclaimed, “He needs to understand all this too!”
But I said, you’re going to lose him. That’s too much context. Frankly, you’re in this position because they trust your work. Sure, you need to have backup of data and explanations if they ask, but at the end of the day, you need to present this information with the minimal amount of information as possible.
We wrote out two sentences that captured it, created one simple graph, and the rest took shape naturally.
Success.
3. Set clarity within the right context
Clarity without context misleads.
In photography, increasing midtone contrast in one area without considering the surrounding light can make the image feel unnatural.
In leadership, the same thing happens when you focus on a detail but ignore the larger story. It’s an art to know exactly what context people need, no more, no less.
If you understand the situation rightly, you can pinpoint the right context and provide just enough for people to connect the dots.
The right amount of context gives shape to clarity.
4. Understand how you reach clarity yourself
You cannot bring clarity to others if you are unclear within yourself.
Some people, like me, think to talk, forming their thoughts internally before speaking…others talk to think, discovering what they believe through dialogue.
Both paths lead to clarity, but you have to know which one helps you see more clearly.
Clarity begins to form when I start putting words to what I only half understand.
One thing that has helped is using the voice mode in ChatGPT as a kind of always-on dialogue partner.
Trust me, I know that it is not perfect…but it asks good enough questions to help me process ideas, draft policies, or test my thinking when no one else is available.
Speaking things out loud brings out different insights than writing them down, and both bring clarity picture in different ways.
This never replaces real conversations, but it fills a gap.
Whether you talk, write, or think in silence, the key is to know how you find clarity and to make time for it.
Final Thoughts
Bringing clarity isn’t about adding more information.
It’s about seeing the whole picture, knowing where to focus, and making subtle adjustments that help others see it too.
Most leaders I know don’t lack information…they lack focus.
When everything seems equally important, nothing moves forward.
Sometimes the clearest act of leadership is knowing what to leave out…and letting the rest fall quietly into place.
Hey, great read as always. This analysis on clarity through precision truely resonates. It’s a fundamental principle often overlooked applicable from pedagogy to algorithm design. Excellent insight.