Eight ways to focus and get the important stuff done

When Marillyn Hewson took over as chief executive of Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, in January 2013 she faced multiple crises at the same time. Cash-strapped governments were cutting defense spending while newer competitors were going after the company’s market share.

Yet Hewson was unfazed. She focused on streamlining operations, investing in new technology, and expanding into international markets to maintain the company’s position as a leading industry player. During her seven-year tenure, the company’s stock price increased three-fold and she left a record backlog of business upon stepping down.

With the world grappling with increasingly interconnected crises, it can be hard for leaders to know where to focus their time and effort.

In such situations it can be all too easy to slip into a “headless chicken” mentality, focusing on too many tasks without getting the important stuff done. Yet leadership in times of crisis, let…