CHAPTER 4
Lasering In on the Mission
Throughout history, it was the super achievers —
and only the super achievers — who knew when to
say “No.” They always knew what to reach for.
They knew where to place themselves.
PETER DRUCKERWhat’s the difference between stadium lights and a laser? Sta-
dium lights illumine an entire football field, turning night into day
for cameras and spectators. They can be seen for miles.
But a laser so focuses the power of light that it can slice steel
or perform surgery. Anyone who has observed an automobile
assembly line with car panels being carved by the power of light,
or anyone whose eyesight has been restored by laser surgery on
the retina, knows the wonderful effects when energy is not dif-
fused but intensely focused.
While broad exposure and wide-ranging interests are impor-
tant, leaders who offer the most lasting contributions incorporate
their exposure into a laser focus.
Without a clear purpose and well-channeled efforts, energy is
diffused and power is dissipated.
“No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined,”
observed Harry Emerson Fosdick. “No life ever grows great until
it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.” The great evangelist of the
nineteenth century, Dwight L. Moody, who in many ways was a
model for Billy Graham, had a motto: “Consecrate, then concen-
trate.” Billy did just that. He identified his calling, then refused to