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John Quincy Adams said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."  I thought of this historical quote today after reading an insightful article in Smartbrief on Rajeev Peshawar, the CEO of the ICLIF Leadership and Governance Centre, and the author of "Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders" when he was quoted, "we spend a huge amount of time and money trying to teach something that cannot be taught.  True leadership is about having the lasting energy to create a better future-that's not something that you learn in a classroom or training module."  He continues by saying that the first step of a leader is to "discover their personal source of energy ... then align the energy of others toward a shared purpose."

These are wise words, simple and understandable. When I think of true leaders, I don't necessarily picture all the trappings, rather their ability to think and to do so beyond their own perspective.  Today, we encounter complexities that did not exist two years ago, and as a result, work life balance has taken on a whole new meaning.  To stay on top of their industries, leaders, especially today, need to be able to think clearly and the challenge is finding the time, energy, and flexibility.

Consider looking at the time that is available to you and match it up against your goals.  You will feel more in control of your life if you identify goals that are not progressing, apply some flexibility, and consider what might be more personally satisfying.  Yes, alternate goals - like more balance in your schedule.  The current economic environment seems willing to stay and linger for a bit; we can't control that, but we can control how we respond to these complexities.  We can start by carving out time to think!

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Great reminder for parents that back to shool time is here and children need their sleep. This article from the National Sleep Foundation, provides information on how much sleep children in their age brackets need.

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Benjamin Franklin, said that, "energy and persistence alter all things."  Few things are as  motivating than hearing of an achievement that was mastered by persistence, but, what about the other thing?  Energy.  Energy is more than a state of mind, in fact, the lack of energy affects your state of mind! So, where does one drum up energy?

If you hit every morning running like most of us, the thought of making long range plans about your personal energy stores might never make it past the fleeting thought stage.  Start thinking in more bite-sized pieces, for example, ask yourself how long you have been sitting.  If you have been staring at your computer screen for over an hour get up and walk around, go outside for a few minutes. Why? Because prolonged sitting will blunt your core temperature that impacts peak physical stamina and peak cognitive function.  This habit will go a long way in avoiding fatigue.

In Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Finding Flow, he points out that, "work takes up a third of the time available for living...it provides some of the most intense and satisfying moments, it gives a sense of pride and identity, yet it is something most of us are glad to avoid."  While work - life balance is something to strive for, it is easy to get overwhelmed with what it is you should be doing - this emotion will most certainly cloud your focus and become another energy drain.  So, don't let your plans for balance weigh you down - start small, start by stepping away from the technology for just 5 minutes!