I mentioned last week that the Compelled, those that are true leaders, must produce energy for themselves and often for others. This process is the challenge of living compelled. Energy is finite. If you are a compelled leader, you have to find ways to build and recover energy.

You cannot give what you don’t receive. You have to take care of yourself to take care of others. Whatever you do (read, spend time with family, journal, pray, meditate, etc.), you must find ways to incorporate that into your daily life. If not, you will eventually run out of energy, and then you are no good for yourself or others.

In this process, we must think about the difference between activity and productivity. Activity is busyness; productivity is focused work. Here is a simple equation you can use to think about productivity: work produced  = time spent on task x intensity of focus. To lead compelled takes focused practice. Many times energy loss can come from just being active rather than productive. As a compelled leader, it is not always your job to change the thinking of the Cynics, but it is your responsibility to create enough energy to outlast them.

Take some time in the upcoming week to think about how you can live compelled. Think about how you can build and recover energy. Most importantly, examine your daily tasks to see if you are just active or being productive.