Churchill Leadership Trait: Energy

I can't think of any leaders who lack the leadershiop trait of energy. Energy, enthusiasm, passion and the ability to energize others is critical to effective leadership.

Anybody who works with other people will recognize that certain people light up a room and light up the people around them while others seem to literally suck the energy from the room with their negativity and lack of energy. You cannot plug yourself into an electric socket to re-charge your energy - you have to generate it yourself. Churchill generated tons!

Infectious Passion

Energy and passion are infectious (as unfortunately are negativity and cynicism). Churchill was bursting with vitality and energy and this acted as a boost for those around him. What makes this all the more remarkable was that Churchill was in his late 60s during the second world war - and his health wasn't great either. He proved to be unstoppable! Imagine what a Winston Churchill could do at your workplace!

Why or How?

Many people find that they cannot generate the required energy they need to accomplish (or start) their goals. They often mistakenly believe that this is due to not knowing "how" to tackle their goals...if only they knew "how", they would be able to generate the motivation and energy necessary. This is in fact incorrect. What is needed is not the "how" but the "why". Why do you need to achieve this goal? Why is it important? Many times Churchill did not know How Britain would win the war, but he maintained an unshakeable Why Britain must win the war. Britain must win for the sake of freedom, civilization and democracy. For Churchill the "Why" was huge. For him the "Why" was mega-important. Therefore his ability to generate the required energy was never in question. It allowed him to have his amazing capacity for hard work and inspire a nation with his tenacity of purpose. Energy and the ability to energize others made the difference.

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