Sleep for a better leadership memory

Sleep is super important to leadership.

And, most leaders don’t get nearly enough of it; so you are groggy, forgetful, and irritable.

Get enough and it makes your job so much easier.

Substitute in caffeine or other stimulants and you’ll actually hurt your ability to lead.

Get sleep, make sleep a priority, and focus on getting your rest.

Figure out how many hours you need.

Set your schedule to get that sleep.

Eliminate distractions.

Start tonight, and get the rest you need, consistently.

Leadership takes a clear, quick thinking mind, and getting your sleep gets you that mind.

You improve your memory when you are fresh and alert.

Other negative characteristics will fade away too, like, irritability, impatience, and carelessness.

With good sleep you will stay easy-going, calm, and attentive.

Now, let's talk about what might effect your sleep.

How many of you drink caffeine?

How many of you drink too much caffeine?

How many of you drink it at the wrong time?

Do you know if you drink too much? When is the wrong time?

I looked into those two questions myself and was shocked at how much I was drinking and how late into the day it really was.

And, wow was it tough to make the adjustments.

I wanted to improve my leadership and management, so I addressed my relationship with caffeine.

I found the exact amount that would get me that beloved energy, and I stuck to that amount tenaciously. I made sure I did not drink an ounce of caffeine past a very specific time of day, too.

I encourage you all to audit your caffeine intake and see if adjustments could be in order.

Boy, did I have headaches at first, but once those past, I actually had much more energy and focus, sustained throughout the day. No more crashes, no more dragged out afternoons. I started sleeping better and felt more rested each morning.

Ultimately, I hit that goal of improved leadership. My mind was clear, I could focus, and my memory got back to being laser sharp.