Once of the core qualities of great leaders in high growth organisations is energy. Change, growth, and results all require enormous energy. Many business owners fail to achieve what they want simply because the mind is willing but the body is weak. Their mind says, “let’s go for it” and their body says, “I don’t want to get out of bed.” Whenever you think of someone who has charisma and presence isn’t it true that they also have a significant amount of psychological, emotional, or physical energy? Of course, there are many different styles of energy. Some are external in their style of communication and intensity, but everyone who is successful somehow brings energy, a physical, emotional and psychological energy, into their environment. Being able to tap into that energy even when you are exhausted, even when things aren’t going your way, often separates those who achieve and lead at the highest level versus those who fall short.
There are certain fundamental things that people do to increase their energy regardless of how much sleep they’ve had or where their blood sugar is.One is to physically take care of yourself, to train your body so that you have that expanded sense of energy and endurance. You can also find energy (even when you’re exhausted) by tapping into a vision, a sense of purpose, which brings energy not only to yourself but to your team as well. Often, people feel exhausted not because they’re not in great physical shape or don’t have a vision, but because they have inner conflicts. They are trying to meet two different “masters” that don’t support each other, so their energy becomes divided. Discovering and aligning vision and purpose is what has given power to so many great leaders. Steve Jobs was famous for his relentless intensity. It came from his undivided focus to create the greatest products and one of the greatest company’s in the world.
The important factor here is you can’t manage what you don’t measure. How would you rate your level of energy on a consistent basis (especially when things are not going your way)? What would you give yourself on a scale from 0 to 10? What do you need to do to improve it?
