Back in college choir there was a warm-up that we would often do before concerts and performances to get us fired up. The words were simple enough, but as we said them, we built with intensity and expression, physically and verbally. Together the group would say in rhythm:

I’m going to do, whatever I do with real energy. I’m going to do whatever I do with real energy. I’m going to do whatever I do with real energy…

As goofy as that warm-up might sound, it works to build the energy, and center the focus. There is also a real insight for leadership in this too. With a warm-up such as this, you build your energy, focus, and excitement. You put a “bounce” in your work, attention, and practice.

That begs the question, do you have a bounce in your step? 

What I mean is, do you walk with purpose? Are you excited about what you are doing and about to do? Or, do you walk slowly without energy? Do you go from meeting to meeting, task to task, going through the motions but without any real sense of joy?

In life and leadership having a ‘bounce’ matters. Joy matters.

If you love what you do, chances are you will be fully invested in what you are doing, fully present, and giving it your all. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, others will be able to ultimately see that you are going through the motions, counting the minutes until the day is over, and always looking toward the weekend.

Now, I am not saying the point of life is to work. But, I do believe that if you don’t enjoy doing what you are doing, you really should think twice about why you are doing it. Sometimes obviously there isn’t another option, and you need income to pay the bills. That’s a perfectly acceptable reason. But, in those cases, perhaps there is some way to turn a not so joyful experience at least into a more tolerable one.

Thinking about a bounce, usually I can tell if I am enjoying what I am doing by the way I walk. When I am walking in a hurry, but still taking time to smile and enjoy the people and surroundings around me, I know I have a bounce in my step. When I am walking slowly, without any real motivation, I know that’s an indicator for me not that I am tired (though that is certainly possible), but more likely that something needs to change.

What gives you a bounce in your leadership and life? In what ways do you need to find more of a bounce?

Image Credit: Walking