Give It the Attention It Deserves
And Let Go of the Rest
In small business leadership, it’s easy to get pulled in every direction. Every email feels urgent. Every minor issue can spiral into a late-night worry. And before you know it, your energy is spent on things that, if you're honest, don’t actually move the needle. This is your reminder: Not everything needs your worry. But the right things need your attention.

Worry vs. Attention
There’s a difference. Worry is reactive. It’s emotional. It’s spinning your wheels. Attention is deliberate. It's action-oriented. It’s calm, clear, and considered. We worry about what people think, about that one bit of gossip, about the staff member who had a weird mood one day. We give our attention to values, to behaviour patterns, to the systems we want to improve. Worry burns you out. Attention builds something better.

What to Let Go Of
Let’s be honest, these are the things we often fuss over that don’t deserve the energy:

• What someone said in passing that rubbed you the wrong way
• That one typo in the group email
• A team member having an off day (but who’s otherwise solid)
• Minor tech glitches you can’t control
• Whether everyone likes you all the time
  It’s okay to notice these things. But you don’t have to carry them.

What Deserves Your Attention
Here’s what’s actually worth showing up for:
✔️ A staff member feeling unsupported
✔️ A process that’s failing repeatedly
✔️ Unclear expectations
✔️ A toxic pattern that’s quietly brewing
✔️ Your own clarity, capacity and mindset as a leader
These things don’t always feel urgent. But if you give them your attention consistently, the rest tends to fall into place.

A Leadership Practice: The "Quick Sort"
At the end of your day, ask yourself: What am I still thinking about… and does it deserve my attention tomorrow? If not, let it go. If yes, write it down and choose to handle it intentionally, not reactively. This one habit can change everything, from how your team sees you to how much headspace you reclaim.

Final Thought
Leadership isn’t about being across everything. It’s about being clear on what matters most and having the courage to let go of the rest. So no, you don’t have to worry about it. Just give the right things the attention they deserve.