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Unit 2: Inspiration Project

Kaitlyn Upson

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University

OGL 482: Pro-Seminar II

Dr. Janice Lawhorn

October 29, 2023

Unit 2: Inspiration Project

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Deep work is the practice of using extreme concentration to produce something that is

meaningful and valuable (Newport, 2016). The book that I chose to read for this project was

Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world by Cal Newport. In this book,

Newport, a distinguished author and professor, discusses the concept of deep work and how it is

beneficial to individuals in today’s world. I chose to read this book because I believe that I could

benefit from implementing deep work into my life. There are many distractions in today’s world

that I have succumbed to that I believe have prevented me from getting the most out of my life.

Understanding the value of deep work can be beneficial in today’s word for up and coming

leaders like myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to others. Throughout

his discussion, Newport provides several examples of how working individuals have

implemented deep work in their lives and how it has changed them for the better. These

examples painted a picture of how deep work is possible even in a world filled with distractions.

He explains that deep work is meaningful, valuable, and rare. A major argument that Newport

makes is the amount of time that individuals spend checking their emails and how this affects

their ability to work effectively. Newport explains that if someone is trying to work on a task and

they are constantly stopping to reply to an email it prevents the brain from entering a state of

concentration (2016). This makes it difficult to work deeply and it also can increase the time

spent on the task. Therefore, one should refrain from checking their email when spending time

on a difficult task. This lesson alone, along with many others, is why I would recommend this

book to others who are a part of the organizational leadership program.

The lessons of this book can be beneficial to organizational leadership majors because

producing valuable work is important as a leader. Like many people in today’s society, I struggle
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with constantly picking up my phone and checking my social media. I believe that this has

affected my ability to work deeply which has affected my leadership. Throughout this book,

Newport provides advice on how to eliminate distractions in order to allow deep work to occur.

His rules are: work deeply, embrace boredom, quit social media, and drain in the shallows.

Following these rules allow individuals to be present in the moment and therefore produce

meaningful work. I think that these rules can benefit leaders as they can provide guidance on

how to fulfill their responsibilities effectively as well as make an impact on their followers.

One lesson that I gained from reading this book that had a major impact on me is that

social media is a tool and should be treated as such. Newport discusses this while explaining his

rule of quitting social media. He explains that social media apps and websites are tools that have

certain advantages and that this should be an individual’s main motivation when choosing to

utilize them (2016). He advises readers against using these platforms for entertainment purposes

as this can cause one to get consumed and burnt out. One of the approaches that he introduces

when giving advice on how to determine if using a social media platform is beneficial is The

Craftsman Approach. For this approach, one must identify whether or not the platform aligns

with their personal and professional goals as well as if the positive impacts override the negative

ones (Newport, 2016, p. 197). This lesson resonates with me because it helps me understand how

social media can affect my ability to work deeply. Along with that, it allows me to understand

how to properly determine if utilizing a certain platform is going to help me achieve my goals or

steer me in the wrong direction. I can apply this in terms of leading an organization because

leaders have a responsibility to contribute to the success of organizational goals. Because of that,

it is important that leaders eliminate distractions that can potentially get in the way of this. This

is a lesson that is extremely beneficial to current and future leaders.

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Another lesson that resonated with me is a piece of advice that Newport gave: “don’t take

breaks from distractions, instead take breaks from focus” (Newport, 2016, p. 166). During the

explanation of his second rule of performing deep work, embrace boredom, Newport explains

that if an individual is trying to focus on getting an important task completed, they should focus

all their attention on that task and schedule in breaks. These breaks are the only time that the

internet should be used and it should be avoided otherwise (Newport, 2016, p. 167). This can

help someone hold themself accountable to staying on task and allow them to produce

meaningful and valuable work. This lesson resonated with me because I think that it would

benefit me immensely. It is easy for me to get distracted by my phone which can cause me to

spend a significant amount of time on a task that could have taken less time if I remained

focused. Because of this, I would like to implement this practice into my life as I believe it would

allow me to work more efficiently and deeply. I can apply this lesson to organizational

leadership because leaders need to be able to effectively manage their time in order to be

productive and complete all their assigned responsibilities. This lesson would help leaders like

myself who struggle with succumbing to distractions stay on track.

The last lesson that I learned that I would like to discuss from this book is the importance

of using the time after the work day is over to relax and recharge. Newport explains that in order

to work deeply, it is important to use downtime as an opportunity to recharge the brain as it will

be more effective for when it is time to go back to work (2016). If an individual brings the issues

of the day home with them and does not allow their brain a chance to rest, it can cause them to

get burnt out which decreases their productivity at work the next day. Because of this, it is

important to realize that the brain only has so much energy to perform deep work and taking

breaks are important to rejuvenate oneself and prepare for the day ahead. This lesson resonated
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with me because I constantly see leaders that are overworking themselves and not giving

themselves the opportunity to relax. I have also experienced this feeling myself. This caused me

to become burnt out and resent my job. From an organizational leadership standpoint, it is

important that leaders take time for themselves so that they do not become unproductive due to

exhaustion. This will improve their ability to work deeply in the long run. This is a lesson that

current and future leaders can benefit from.

The lessons previously discussed can be applied to Organizational Leadership courses

that I have taken. For example, the course OGL 340: The Aikido Way applies aspects of the

martial art Aikido to conflict transformation. One of the concepts discussed in this course is

mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and appreciating what is

happening at a given time. This concept can relate to performing deep work because

concentration is an important part of each of these practices. In order to be successful at each of

these practices, one must stay focused on the task at hand. Mindfulness can contribute to one’s

ability to work deeply because it involves slowing down racing thoughts in the mind and

focusing on what is happening in the current moment. Therefore, mindfulness can be beneficial

to practice if one is looking to improve their ability to work deeply.

I can also apply deep work to the course OGL 481: Pro-Seminar I. In this course, I

learned about the structural frame and how its importance to an organization. The structural

frame explains how an organization uses structure for division and coordination of roles and

responsibilities (Bolman and Deal, 2021). The concept of deep work can apply to the structural

frame because deep work will help workers be more productive which will uphold the

organization’s structure effectively. If organizations make an effort to create an environment

where deep work is possible it can create a more productive and dedicated workforce. This will
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create a structured organization that will be able to achieve its goals. This is how the structural

frame can be applied to deep work and why organizations would benefit from prioritizing it.

The aspect that I most identify with from this book is when Newport discussed how the

amount of willpower a person has is finite (2016, p. 105). I identify with this because there are

days where I feel drained at the end. I think that the amount of time that I spend on social media

has contributed to this feeling. Newport explains that one has to manage their time effectively in

order to make the best use of their willpower. He suggests implementing routines where certain

times of the day are dedicated to deep work. This can prevent overexerting one’s willpower and

allow one to get more done during the day. Since reading this book, I have been trying to

implement this in my day-to-day life. I am already seeing results as I have felt more devoted to

the important work in my life and not drained as much at the end of the day. I believe that if I

continue on this track this will not only increase my productivity it will also improve my

leadership skills.

After reading Deep Work and reflecting on the lessons that I have learned, I believe that

the concepts discussed will help me make an impact as a future leader. This is because learning

about the importance of deep work has increased my understanding of leadership. Although

Newport does not directly discuss the concept of leadership, many of his points can be applied to

leadership. For example, he emphasizes how deep work is meaningful. If an individual focuses

on something that they are passionate about, they can create something truly meaningful. This

has furthered my understanding of leadership as leaders need to be passionate about their role in

order to make a difference. If followers see that their leader is invested in what they are doing,

they will be more likely to connect to the leader and follow their influence. Knowing this, I

understand the value of deep work and I see how it can impact my ability to lead.
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I can use the lessons from this book to make a difference in my future career because, as

discussed by Newport, deep work is rare in today’s world. Many people are consumed by

distractions such as email or social media. When these network tools are constantly in use, it

takes away from the concentration that can be used to create deep and meaningful work

(Newport, 2016). Along with that, many organizations create workplaces that make it difficult to

work deeply. This includes the use of open office spaces as well as the constant pressure from

upper management to constantly respond to emails. These kinds of environments make it

challenging for the brain to enter a deep state of concentration. This is why deep work is not an

action that many people are capable of in today's society. I can use this knowledge to benefit

myself by becoming skilled in performing deep work to make me stand out and move my career

forward. As a future organizational leader, I can make it my mission to create a space where

people can perform deep work. This is how I can use deep work to help my career and make a

difference as a leader.

Newport’s discussion of deep work can provide beneficial insight to future leaders

including myself. I have learned several lessons from this book that I believe will contribute to

my ability to lead effectively. These lessons include the importance of realizing social media is a

tool, the value in taking breaks from focus rather than distraction, and the importance of taking

the time to recharge your brain. These lessons have allowed me to see the value that deep work

can add to my life. I can also apply the concept of deep work to previous OGL courses that I

have taken such as OGL 340: The Aikido Way and OGL 481: Pro-Seminar II. Understanding

the value of deep work has furthered my understanding of leadership and I believe that it can

help me make a difference as a future leader. I plan on including this analysis in my portfolio as
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it demonstrates my ability to connect concepts to leadership and explain the importance and

impact.

References
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Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership

(7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world. Grand Central

Publishing.