Baylor grad Michael Hyatt helps people become “Free to Focus” in new book

Most people would like to be more productive. For years, Michael Hyatt, BA ’77, has considered it his mission to help people actually accomplish that goal.

A nationally recognized productivity expert, Hyatt has written six books on the subject — including three best-sellers and his latest effort, the recently released Free to Focus, designed to help people “achieve more by doing less.”

Hyatt’s path to publishing actually began at Baylor. While pursuing a degree in philosophy, he took a job at Word Publishing. It was there he says he fell in love with the industry, one of two long-term partnerships he discovered in Waco — the other being with his wife, Gail, BSEd ’77; the couple met as Baylor students. Michael eventually founded his own company, Wohlgemuth & Hyatt, in 1986, and after his company was purchased by Word, he became a literary agent. In 1998, Hyatt joined Christian publishing giant Thomas Nelson, eventually advancing to serve as CEO for six years before becoming chairman when the company was purchased by Harper Collins.

In the years since, Hyatt has turned his attention to helping others reap the benefits of what he learned about productivity and organization in more than four decades in leadership. He started a leadership development company, Hyatt & Co., and has shared his secrets in books, blog posts, speeches, and his “Lead to Win” podcast, which was named as “one of ten business podcasts that will change your business life for the better” by Inc.

This year, he compiled his productivity system and secrets into Free to Focus, which details how people can better manage their tasks and responsibilities to become more focused and productive while doing less. [Click here to hear Hyatt unpack the system on the EntreLeadership podcast.]

“In the world we live in now, with millions of apps, social media, text messages, inboxes,” Hyatt says, “we’ve got to be proactive if we’re going to do the important work that moves the needle in our lives and in our professional lives.”

Sic ’em, Michael Hyatt!