Here’s a question for you.
What would you say is the single most important factor for success in the business world?
I would describe this as the X factor in our equation of you to the power X. The power X??? What interesting thought …what is the decider/determining factor in our success…
Over the next few posts I would be digging into this concept….
For todays post I wanted to highlight Energy!!
Peter Drucker said “In my professional opinion, the single most important trait for career success is a high energy level.” He ranked it above brainpower, personality, or academic credentials. He considered it more important than a person’s looks, emotional intelligence, or whatever.
Want to know what I think?
I’ve studied people and been an advisor to all kinds of organizations for some 15 years now. I know success depends on lots of different things. Many personality traits are important, along with certain skills and abilities. But I agree—a high energy level is the single most critical asset for career success.
Being at a Tony Robbins seminar I heard this ….“Highest Energy Wins” ….
Why would that be the premier factor?
Go to the dictionary and look up the formal definition of energy. You’ll find that, in the scientific vocabulary of physics, energy is defined as “the capacity to do work.”
Think about that.
Energy is the fuel, the very life force, for a person as well as a business. Without energy, everything dies. No work gets done. Nothing moves. And all the other assets—whether talents, personality traits, or even machinery—become irrelevant.
Sure, you want talent. Skills and abilities are important. But a person with high talent and low energy is like a Ferrari slogging along on watery, low octane gasoline. Capabilities aren’t worth much without fuel to power actual performance.
By no means does a high energy level guarantee success. But the less energy you have to work with, the less likely you are to deliver impressive results.
This brings us to the three key aspects of energy management:
- Generation. You need to create the energy necessary for high performance. Eat right, get good sleep, and exercise. Maybe take B-complex vitamins. Drink water. Engage in work that plays to your strengths and set goals that excite you.
- Conservation. Take steps to preserve and protect your precious energy supply. Avoid negative people and thoughts that drain your spirit. Don’t waste yourself on mindless TV or social media. Stay healthy, because sickness is an energy killer.
- Focus. Concentrate your energy on what counts most. Spend your “capacity to do work” on its highest and best use. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
Raise your energy level and you’ll be able to do more. You’ll be able to do it faster, better, and with a brighter spirit. That makes you far better positioned to achieve you².
“And what is a man without energy? Nothing—nothing at all.”
—Mark Twain
Happy Monday
