In the rolling hills of Skipton, during a recent Samurai retreat, a deceptively simple yet transformative principle struck me hard: the samurai never use more than 60% of their energy - intentionally holding back the remaining 40%. This wasn’t about avoiding effort. It was about conserving clarity, maintaining composure, and being ready for whatever comes next. That mindset—of sustainable, focused effort—echoes powerfully through another philosophy I’ve long admired: the 20-Mile March.
Originally explored in Jim Collins’ Great by Choice, the 20-Mile March refers to businesses that prevail through turbulent times by committing to consistent, measured progress. Not explosive sprints. Not blind ambition. Just daily, focused discipline. It’s not glamorous—but it’s where high growth truly begins.
And when paired with the samurai’s principle of measured energy, it becomes a leadership superpower.
High Growth Is About Control, Not Speed
Many scale-up leaders fall into a trap: we’re told that the faster we grow, the better. The media celebrates unicorns. Government schemes incentivise acceleration. Peers ask “what’s your next big move?” There’s constant pressure to do more, go faster, be bigger.
But what if success isn’t about acceleration, but about sustainability?
At the Samurai retreat, surrounded by calm, discipline, and deep internal focus, I saw how powerfully this applies to business. Leaders who pour 100% of themselves into growth every day burn out. Teams that sprint too fast lose direction. Businesses that over-extend during “good times” often crumble when the climate turns.
What’s needed is the courage to set your own pace. Not the fastest pace—but the right one. A pace that delivers long-term performance, not just short-term momentum.
The 20-Mile March: A Blueprint for Sustainable Success
Imagine trekking from London to Istanbul, across continents, at a steady pace every single day. You could push yourself to do 40 miles on a sunny day and take a break when the storm hits. Or you could do what explorer Roald Amundsen did in his legendary race to the South Pole: a steady, unwavering 20 miles a day, no matter the weather.
That second strategy wins.
In Great by Choice, Collins found that every company that outperformed its industry tenfold—so-called “10X companies”—adopted a 20-Mile March. They advanced with disciplined, consistent effort, regardless of external conditions. Even in chaos, they didn’t panic. Even in booms, they didn’t overreach.
In business coaching, this is one of the most powerful tools a high growth coach can instil in a leader: the discipline to define your “march” and stick to it.
Because the truth is, your business doesn’t need to match anyone else’s pace. Growth isn’t a race. It’s a journey—one where consistency outperforms chaos, and calm decisiveness beats frantic reaction.
Growth on Your Terms
What the Samurai and Amundsen both understood—and what too many leaders forget—is that sustainable growth is never accidental. It’s chosen. You set your own pace. You decide how much energy you give. And you accept that every trade-off in business comes with personal implications: more growth often means more time, more focus, more pressure.
That’s why the starting point must be clarity: what kind of life do you want to build around your business? Not the other way around.
This means asking the tough questions:
Are you prepared for the personal cost of rapid growth?
Or do you need to set a growth target that still leaves room for family, health, and presence?
Are you ready to hold back 40%, even when the market tempts you to give 100%?
A high growth mindset doesn’t mean you grow recklessly. It means you grow intentionally.
Energy Management Is Leadership
The Samurai never wasted motion. They never operated at 100% unless the moment truly demanded it. Why? Because at 100%, you lose visibility. You become reactive, not strategic. And over time, you burn out.
In today’s hyper-accelerated business world, that mindset is radical. It’s also essential.
Holding back doesn’t mean underperforming—it means mastering your energy. Speaking with impact, not volume. Making decisions with clarity, not haste. Committing to daily, repeatable excellence—your own 20-Mile March—rather than chasing peaks followed by troughs.
The companies that win? They move consistently. Their leaders are composed. They build confidence internally and externally because they’re not reacting to chaos—they’re navigating through it, eyes forward, reserves intact.
And above all, they enjoy the journey. Because they’re not sprinting to a mythical finish line. They’re mastering the art of purposeful, balanced progress.