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ZENODO
Other literature type . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Research . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Research . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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addClaim

Bored? Maybe That's a Good Thing. Not because boredom makes us creative, but because it tells us what happened to attention.

Authors: Morgan, David S;

Bored? Maybe That's a Good Thing. Not because boredom makes us creative, but because it tells us what happened to attention.

Abstract

Abstract Modern organizations have become skilled at closing boredom and far less sure whether they are renewing attention. This Leadership Insight article reframes workplace boredom not as failed engagement but as released attention: the interval when one claim has loosened and the next has not yet taken hold. Its central distinction is that ending boredom is not the same as renewing attention. A reach for the phone, a new meeting, or another initiative can close the open interval without addressing what attention actually needs. Drawing on boredom research and the author's work on holding, the piece argues that the empty interval is a diagnostic, not a creativity hack, and that claim-saturated environments leave people overstimulated and bored at once. It distinguishes boredom that should be held from abandoned time that should be relieved, and offers six design moves for leaders who want to waste less human attention. Keywords leadership; boredom; attention; employee engagement; organizational behavior; digital distraction; attention economy; deep work; released attention; claim saturation

Keywords

leadership, digital distraction, released attention, organizational behavior, attention economy, deep work, employee engagement, claim saturation, boredom, attention

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    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average