19 | How to Lead Distracted Teams Without Having It All Figured Out

The tension is real.

You’re leading a meeting. Ideas are flowing. Your team is engaged. And then that familiar buzz in your pocket.

Before you’ve even made the conscious choice, your hand reaches for your phone. Just a quick glance…

In that moment, something shifts. Connection breaks. Trust thins. And you realize: You’re trying to lead a team toward focus while wrestling with the same digital pulls that everyone else faces.

Leading distracted teams has become one of the greatest challenges for Christian leaders, ministry workers, and mission-driven entrepreneurs today. The question isn’t whether your team struggles with digital distractions, but how you’ll help them develop deeper presence with each other, more meaningful focus during conversations, and stronger connection during meetings while you’re still navigating these challenges yourself. The answer might surprise you: effective strategies for leading distracted teams don’t require having all the answers, they require honest leadership and shared growth.

Why Leading Distracted Teams Isn’t About Having All the Answers

Last month, I was facilitating a leadership team meeting. One of my team members was sharing something vulnerable and important. Then my phone vibrated on the table.

Without thinking, my hand reached for it. Just to make sure it wasn’t urgent…

When I looked up, I caught her eyes. She kept talking, but something had shifted. In that small moment, I had communicated something powerful: Whatever was on my phone might be more important than what was in her heart.

Here’s the truth: our teams don’t just listen to our words about presence, focus, and digital boundaries. They watch our eyes. They notice our habits. They absorb our priorities.

The culture we create isn’t built on what we say in our mission statements. It’s built in these small, everyday moments of either presence or distraction.

The Power of Leading with Vulnerability

Craig Groeschel says something that’s been a lifeline for me: “People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right.”

Being honest about your journey with digital boundaries doesn’t weaken your ability to lead distracted teams, it actually strengthens it. Why? Because it builds trust and invites others into growth rather than demanding they figure it out alone.

Brené Brown’s research shows that teams with leaders who model vulnerability actually perform better and innovate more. When you admit you’re still learning, you create psychological safety for everyone else to grow too.

Understanding the Challenge of Leading Distracted Teams

Today’s workplace distractions stem from devices designed to capture and fragment our attention. The average knowledge worker checks email every 6 minutes and switches between apps over 1,100 times per day.

But here’s what makes leading distracted teams particularly challenging: your digital habits don’t just affect your productivity, they shape your team’s culture, trust levels, and sense of value.

When we’re constantly checking our phones during conversations, we’re essentially communicating: “Whatever might be happening elsewhere is potentially more important than you, right in front of me.”

The Ripple Effect of Leader Behaviour

Research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows that leader behaviour creates a “modelling effect” that ripples through entire organizations. If you’re distracted, your team learns that distraction is acceptable. If you’re present, you give them permission to be present too.

This doesn’t mean you need to have digital mastery before you can successfully lead distracted teams. It means your team is watching how you navigate the journey, not just where you end up.

Practical Strategies for Leading Distracted Teams

1. Start with Honest Conversation, Not Mandates

Try opening your next team meeting with something like:

“I’ve been thinking about how our devices are shaping our focus and relationships as a team. I’m personally working on being more present, and I’d love for us to explore what a more focused team culture might look like.”

You’re not mandating. You’re not correcting. You’re inviting, and that changes everything when you’re leading distracted teams.

2. Model Growth, Not Perfection

Share your own experiments:

• “I’m trying to keep my phone out of sight during meetings so I can stay fully present with you all.”
• “I’ve moved social media apps off my home screen and check email just three times daily instead of constantly.”
• “I’m experimenting with a 10-minute phone-free transition time between meetings to reset my focus.”

These aren’t grand gestures, they’re visible signals of what matters to you. As Simon Sinek reminds us in “Leaders Eat Last,” “If you don’t demonstrate the behavior you ask for, people will automatically dismiss what you say.”

3. Create Shared Ownership of Digital Boundaries

Instead of imposing top-down rules (like phone baskets that feel like kindergarten for grown professionals), ask collaborative questions:

• “What would help us be more present with each other during meetings?”
• “Where do you notice digital distraction affecting our work and relationships?”
• “What boundaries might help us give each other our full attention?”

Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety at Harvard Business School shows that when leaders invite input on team norms, people are far more likely to follow them. They become shared agreements, not external rules.

4. Frame Changes as Experiments

Michael Hyatt suggests creating “tech-free zones” rather than blanket rules in his book “Free to Focus.” Try this approach:

“What if, just for our Tuesday morning meetings this month, we all try keeping phones in our bags? Not as a permanent rule, but as an experiment to see how it affects our collaboration.”

Then debrief: What changed? What felt challenging? What felt refreshing?

This transforms behavior change from something imposed to something discovered together, which is essential when leading distracted teams.

5. Create Visual Cues for Presence

Sometimes the simplest solutions work best:

• Keep a notepad visible during meetings to signal active listening
• Place phones face-down or out of sight (not as a rule, but as your personal practice)
• Use a physical timer for focused discussion segments
• Start meetings with a brief moment of intentional presence

These small actions communicate your values without requiring verbal explanations.

Building a Vision for Something Better

You don’t change culture through guilt or shame. You change it by painting a picture of something better.

Jim Collins talks about how great leaders don’t just push people away from what’s not working, they pull people toward a compelling vision of what could be.

Ask your team:

• What kind of presence do we want to bring to each other?
• How might our work change if we were fully here for crucial conversations?
• What example do we want to set for those we serve?

This is about more than phones. It’s about stewarding our collective attention and building a culture where people feel truly seen, heard, and valued.

The Spiritual Foundation of Present Leadership

Philippians 2:3-4 speaks directly to this tension: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

When we’re constantly checking our phones, aren’t we essentially saying, “Whatever might be happening elsewhere is potentially more important than you, right in front of me”?

Digital distraction, at its core, can be a subtle form of self-interest winning out over our calling to be present with others.

Jesus modeled radical presence beautifully. Think about his engagement with people: the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He was never distracted, never checking for more important people or opportunities nearby.

He was all there. Fully present. One hundred percent focused on the person in front of him.

Leadership in a digital world is ultimately a spiritual act of stewardship of our attention, our influence, and the sacred trust of the people we’ve been called to serve.

Common Questions About Leading Distracted Teams

How do I address team members who are constantly on their phones during meetings?

Start with curiosity rather than correction. Ask questions like “What would help us stay more focused during our time together?” Let the team identify the problem and co-create solutions.

What if my own digital habits aren’t where I want them to be yet?

Leadership is about direction, not destination. Be honest about your journey while staying committed to growth. Your vulnerability creates space for others to grow too.

How can I create digital boundaries without seeming controlling?

Frame changes as experiments and invite collaboration. When people help design the solutions, they develop ownership that rules alone never create.

What’s the difference between healthy boundaries and restrictive rules?

Healthy boundaries emerge from shared values and mutual agreement. Restrictive rules are imposed without input and often create resentment rather than buy-in.

How do I maintain team focus during busy seasons?

Start with micro-commitments: phone-free first 10 minutes of meetings, one fully present conversation per day, or checking email only at designated times. Small consistent actions build lasting change.

Your Next Steps: Small Changes, Big Impact

If this conversation stirred something in you, here are three gentle invitations:

Start a conversation with your team. Try one of the reflection questions discussed today. Open dialogue about digital presence without imposing immediate solutions.

Make one visible, intentional change. Keep your phone out of sight during meetings, mention your own digital experiments, or suggest a team discussion about presence and focus.

Lead by example in small moments. Give full attention during hallway conversations, put devices away during one-on-ones, and celebrate team members when they’re fully present.

You’re not just leading meetings, you’re leading human beings with hearts, minds, and souls. You’re shaping a culture that will ripple far beyond your team.

Remember: You can’t multiply what you haven’t modeled, but you can model the journey of growth. Sometimes that authentic journey is more powerful than having reached the destination.

Ready to take the next step? Take the quiz and Download the free Digital Peace Plan, a 3-day guide to help you and your team reduce screen time and reclaim focus without guilt or rigid rules.