Column

I gave the keynote address at a conference for the leadership team of the telephone banking division of CIBC yesterday. CIBC is one of Canada’s leading banks and the audience was full of energy, passion and intelligence. I shared my ideas on building a high-performance culture, developing deeper relationships and the power of leading without title.

Then I offered some insights on personal leadership — beginning with the imperative of getting up early if one wants to get to world class as a human being. The room fell silent. Thought I’d lost them.

I love connecting personally with audience members and happily stayed after my presentation to answer questions. Amazing how many people asked me what they needed to do to build the early rising habit.

“I want to get a lot more from life,” one manager said. “I loved your point about taking a ‘holy hour’ each morning— 60 minutes to feed my mind, care for my body and develop my character,” said another, “I really need to start getting up earlier to get more from my days.”

It is so easy to forget that our outer lives reflect our inner lives and by getting up earlier each day to do some internal work, our days will become dramatically better. How can you be a positive source of energy to those around you when you have no energy? How can you develop the best in others if you haven’t connected with the best within yourself? And how can you champion another person if you fail to see the champion in you?

Getting up early to do your inner work, enlarge your thinking, to sharpen your life’s philosophy or to review your goals is not a waste of time. That ‘holy hour’ infuses every remaining minute of your day with a perspective that elevates each area of your life. It’ll transform you. Make you better as a leader. As a parent. As a human being. Here are six practical tactics to help you get up early (5 am is nice): Don’t eat after 7 pm. Don’t lounge in bed. Get into world-class physical condition. Set “BHAGs”: Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Set your alarm clock 30 minutes fast.

So join the 5 O’ Clock Club. Win the battle of the bed. Put mind over mattress. Get up early. And remember that Benjamin Franklin once noted: “There will be plenty of time to sleep when you are dead.” Smart guy.