Talent and motivation matter less than where you actually point your attention, because misallocated focus quietly drains performance even when you're busy. Adam Williams calls this the attention tax, and it's at the centre of his debut book, Mega Focus. 

Adam is an award-winning innovator and keynote speaker with 30 years' experience in creative innovation and product development, having worked with brands including Toyota, Ikea, McDonald's, Mazda and Lego. He won the 2022 ACRA and B&T Best of the Best Award and studied at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Kellogg and the London Business School. 

Adam explains the difference between the brain's architect and builder modes, why cognitive outsourcing to AI doesn't make us smarter, and how leaders unknowingly train their teams' attention through their own behaviour. He shares his own story of rebuilding his life around what actually matters, and offers a practical way to audit and retrain where your attention goes. 

Takeaways 
Attention sits upstream of thought, decisions and strategy execution. 
The attention tax is the hidden cost of misallocated focus. 
Declining IQ scores may reflect attention, not intelligence, decline. 
Cognitive outsourcing to AI doesn't make you better at thinking. 
The brain's builder favours comfort, ease and immediate reward. 
Leaders' own attention habits silently set team-wide group norms. 
Being busy is often mistaken for being important or productive. 
Mega focus means aligning who you are with what you do. 

Follow Adam Willams 
https://theattentionarchitect.au/ 

Adam’s book 
Mega Focus: Take Back Control. Join the Attention Revolution. https://link.amazon/B05xHKYUE 

Books recommended 
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari https://link.amazon/B0eG5pzpI  
Atomic Habits by James Clear https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0735211299/
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1784704008/
Attention Span: Finding Focus for a Fulfilling Life by Gloria Mark  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0008526001/ 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ 

Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/
Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO 
Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. 
Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. 
Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  

Follow me: 
on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  
on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth 

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Talent and motivation matter less than where you actually point your attention, because misallocated focus quietly drains performance even when you're busy. Adam Williams calls this the attention tax, and it's at the centre of his debut book, Mega Focus.&nbsp;
Adam is an award-winning innovator and keynote speaker with 30 years' experience in creative innovation and product development, having worked with brands including Toyota, Ikea, McDonald's, Mazda and Lego. He won the 2022 ACRA and B&amp;T Best of the Best Award and studied at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Kellogg and the London Business School.&nbsp;
Adam explains the difference between the brain's architect and builder modes, why cognitive outsourcing to AI doesn't make us smarter, and how leaders unknowingly train their teams' attention through their own behaviour. He shares his own story of rebuilding his life around what actually matters, and offers a practical way to audit and retrain where your attention goes.&nbsp;
Takeaways&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Attention sits upstream of thought, decisions and strategy execution.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The attention tax is the hidden cost of misallocated focus.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Declining IQ scores may reflect attention, not intelligence, decline.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Cognitive outsourcing to AI doesn't make you better at thinking.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The brain's builder favours comfort, ease and immediate reward.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Leaders' own attention habits silently set team-wide group norms.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Being busy is often mistaken for being important or productive.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Mega focus means aligning who you are with what you do.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Follow Adam Willams <a href="https://theattentionarchitect.au/">https://theattentionarchitect.au/</a>&nbsp;
Adam&rsquo;s book Mega Focus: Take Back Control. Join the Attention Revolution. <a href="https://link.amazon/B05xHKYUE">https://link.amazon/B05xHKYUE</a>&nbsp;
Books recommended Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari <a href="https://link.amazon/B0eG5pzpI">https://link.amazon/B0eG5pzpI</a>&nbsp; Atomic Habits by James Clear <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0735211299/">https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0735211299/</a> Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman&nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1784704008/">https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1784704008/</a> Attention Span: Finding Focus for a Fulfilling Life by Gloria Mark&nbsp; <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0008526001/">https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0008526001/</a>&nbsp;
Watch the episode on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners">https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners</a>&nbsp;
Newsletter &ndash; each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter <a href="https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/">https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/</a>&nbsp;
Books &ndash; Learn more about our books&nbsp;<a href="https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/">https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/</a> <a href="https://evolutionpartners.com.au/made-to-thrive/"> Made to Thrive:</a> The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO&nbsp; <a href="https://evolutionpartners.com.au/onboarded/">Onboarded:&nbsp;</a>How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process.&nbsp; <a href="https://evolutionpartners.com.au/onboarded-for-managers-book/">Onboarded for Managers:</a> Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster.&nbsp; <a href="https://evolutionpartners.com.au/bigger-isnt-better/">Bigger isn&rsquo;t Better, Better is Better:</a> Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)&nbsp;&nbsp;
Follow me:&nbsp; on <a href="https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles">https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles</a>&nbsp; on <a href="https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth">https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth</a>&nbsp;
Enjoying the show? Leave a review&nbsp;

A place for the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers.

The Evolution Partners is a weekly podcast hosted by Brad Giles. Join Brad as he engages in conversations with some of the world’s sharpest minds, learning a bit more about them and delving into what makes them tick.

A place for the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers.
The Evolution Partners is a weekly podcast hosted by Brad Giles. Join Brad as he engages in conversations with some of the world’s sharpest minds, learning a bit more about them and delving into what makes them tick.

The Evolution Partners

Each week Brad Giles talks with the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers who are helping to build great companies in their own way.

We learn how the work they’re doing is creating an impact and get to know a little bit more about them, and what makes them tick.

Each week Brad Giles talks with the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers who are helping to build great companies in their own way.
We learn how the work they’re doing is creating an impact and get to know a little bit more about them, and what makes them tick.