As leaders we often think time is our most valuable asset. After all, we seem to have infinite demands on our time and many of us give a great deal of attention to making the most effective use of our time. But at the Global Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels, made this insightful observation…
A leader’s most valuable asset is not their time but their energy and ability to energize others.
What is our job as a leader?
It’s to move our organization forward towards its goals.
How do we move things forward?
There are many ways including…
- Developing a clear vision that people can understand and get exited about.
- Motivating people.
- Getting buy-in from key players.
- Addressing problems and overcoming barriers.
- Dealing with personnel and relational problems.
- Holding people accountable and challenging people to do better.
- Making difficult, unpopular decisions.
These are not things that can be accomplished by simply showing up giving time to them. They can only be accomplished by devoting substancial energy to them.
Now, if you’ve been blessed with boundless energy and can run around beating your drum all day like the Energizer Bunny, then thank God for that. But for the rest of us, that means we’ve got to be intentional about managing our energy even more so than we manage our time.
Tomorrow I’ll follow this post with: 7 Tips to Maximize Energy
In the mean time, let’s talk…
- Do you agree with Bill Hybels that your energy is even more valuable than your time? Why or why not?
- Do you organize your days and weeks by primarily focusing on time management or energy management? In what ways?