Leaders Who Succeed Wake Up and Run
Lions and gazelles on the African plains both start their day with the same action. They both start running. The gazelle knows it must outrun the fastest lion or be killed. The lion knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve.
In the legendary words of security analyst Dan Montano, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or the gazelle: When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
The most successful people have long held a similar motivation. They start the day with energy. They know that energy alone is a force multiplier. Those who make the decision to begin the day with animation and spirit often project that vigor throughout the day to their great advantage.
People are attracted to that energy and often find it contagious. Sometimes, it is the energy alone that pushes through and overcomes adversity.
The best leaders know this is a habit and a choice, not something we are born with. Less invigorated leaders start the day with little exuberance, preferring to ease into the morning. They soon slow-step their way into the afternoon, as well. We might say that those inclined to slow starts have found their “get-up-and-go“ got up and went. No one knows where. But they have chosen this path. It hasn’t chosen them.
Making a different choice is all about commitment. When leaders are excited to get things done, they find the power and energy to start fast and keep the wheels turning. The more they lose themselves in something bigger than themselves, the more energy they find.
As Benjamin Franklin liked to say, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Leaders are conquerors when it comes to finding the will to run throughout the day. When the sun comes up, leaders lace up the running shoes.
Whereas I could not agree more with your suggestion that awakening with a conscious commitment to come alive to the day as an energy generator (to self and others) is a cornerstone of productivity, creativity, and innovation - I lean away from the implication that such an aliveness needs to show up as a hit the ground “running” kind of energy.
Some of our most luminary leaders in the world begin their days with a regimen of quiet and reflective pause before they dive into the more tactical activities of the day. They choose a consciously easeful entry; they nourish their bodies and minds without the push or crazy pace they know will be present in the day’s demands ahead.
Many meditate or practice some kind of mindfulness • journal/pray • read inspiring content • move their bodies and feed themselves healthy, nourishing foods. There’s nothing fast about it - many such leaders taking 2+ hours each morning to dedicate to this personal preparedness and way of personal sustainability.
This kind of Self-Leadership and Self-Respect practice is what allows them to be the high-level generator of energy for themselves and others. It’s a commitment to being the architect of their day, and a way to answer the question I encourage my clients to ask every morning, “What do I want to come alive in me today?”