There’s an intriguing new book that I can’t wait to read called In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing by Matthew E. May.

In an interview with Guy Kawasaki (find it here) I found May’s perspective refreshing. But it was a quote from Apple’s Steve Jobs which May cited that really got my attention. Jobs said, “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of many of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done.”

Loss of focus is one of the dangerous internal dynamics that When Growth Stalls exposes as so destructive to struggling companies. During tough times like these, it’s easier than ever to say “yes” to ideas that look good on the surface. In fact, no company ever lost its focus pursuing an idea that appeared unwise.

That’s the thing about loss of focus–not to mention loss of nerve, loss of consensus and inconsistency. They tend to do their damage by stealth. Only those who are aware of these issues can address (or avoid) them.

Keep your eyes open.