Focus Determines Direction

Focus Determines Direction

            General George McClellan commanded Union forces in the early years of the Civil War. He was highly qualified and a capable strategist. He won several battles against the Confederate forces of General Robert E. Lee. His failing was that he would take the field of battle but then refuse to pursue Lee’s army once he had them in retreat. As a result, Lee was able to regroup time and again for future battles. Some scholars believe this fault in McClellan’s strategy extended the war by two years.

            Finally, President Abraham Lincoln replaced McClellan and eventually appointed General U. S. Grant as commanding general of the Union army. With Grant’s movements in the north and General William Sherman’s strategy in the south, the tide of the war turned significantly in favor of Union forces.

            The difference between these generals is that McClellan focused on winning battles, while Grant and Sherman focused on winning the war.

            What you focus on determines the direction you travel in your career and your life. Are you focused on just today’s challenge, or are you advancing every day toward achieving your most significant goals and objectives?