Decide to Be Exceptional: Restore Your Leadership Energy

What Happens When You Decide to Be Exceptional

There is a moment in every leader’s growth where the shift is not loud or dramatic or even obvious to anyone else. 

It happens quietly, internally, almost like a recalibration. 

It is the decision to stop tolerating your own drift and step back into the habits and mindset that support your best leadership.

I did not learn that lesson gracefully.

Years ago, I went through a period where life felt full and heavy and relentlessly demanding. I was constantly busy and always thinking and never quite catching up. On the outside I looked committed and capable. On the inside I was exhausted, distracted, and slipping into a version of myself I did not recognise.

It took me a few laps around that cycle to realise what was really happening. I was not tired because life was difficult. I was tired because I had abandoned the habits that kept me grounded and energised. I had drifted away from the rituals that sharpened my clarity and steadied my leadership.

My sunrise jog slowly became an extra ten minutes of sleep, then thirty.
My two minute social scroll to take my mind off things became a ninety minute doom scroll of comparison and self doubt.
My quick end of day email tidy up became another two hours of work instead of reading a chapter of my novel.
Long hours meant takeaway food instead of fresh home cooking.
My eight glasses of water became endless cups of coffee followed by wine to unwind.

Without noticing, I had stepped out of the identity of an exceptional leader and into a downward spiral of overwhelm. 

And every time I got stuck in my head, or worried about things I could not control, or felt paralysed by overthinking, I let my essential habits slide even further.

I was not losing energy because the workload was heavy.
I was losing energy because I had stopped doing the things that kept me well.

Thankfully, I eventually engaged a coach who helped me see the pattern I could not see myself. He helped me create a new one. 

That was fifteen years ago and to this day I can spot the early signs when I am beginning to slip. I feel the edges blurring. I see my focus wandering. I notice the rituals drifting. And because I can see it early, I know exactly how to get back on track before the spiral takes hold.

This is where exceptional leadership truly begins.
Not in the easy seasons.
Not in the polished moments.
But in the decision to return to the habits that support who you want to be.

Exceptional leadership is intentional.
It is consistent.
It is built from the inside out.

When you honour the rituals that nourish your energy you think more clearly, communicate more calmly, and respond more thoughtfully. Your presence shifts, your team notices, and your influence enriches the entire environment around you.

When you drop those rituals everything becomes harder. Small tasks feel heavier. Problems feel bigger. Your perspective narrows. You get stuck in the weeds and it becomes easy to believe it is everything around you that is draining your energy.

But the truth is simple.
Your energy is not shaped by your circumstances.
It is shaped by your choices.

This week’s episode is an invitation to return to that truth. If you want to lead with stamina, clarity, intention, and emotional steadiness, the decision must come long before the circumstances feel perfect. Exceptional leadership is the result of daily habits repeated long before anyone else sees the impact.

If you are reading this and feeling the signs of slipping, take a moment today to reset. Choose one ritual that nourishes you. Choose one habit that brings you back to yourself. Choose one behaviour that embodies the leader you want to be. The change begins the moment you decide.

Because being exceptional is not about being perfect. It is about being intentional. And every time you choose to return to the habits that support you, you take another step into the leader you were always capable of being.

Your Next Step

If you are ready to strengthen your leadership energy and rebuild the habits that sustain performance, download your free copy of The High Performance Energy Playbook. It contains practical rituals and daily resets that help you stay focused, centred, and capable even when life becomes messy.

👉 Get the Playbook here 

👀 Watch the YouTube episode here

🎧Listen to the podcast here

And if you want personal support to re-establish the rhythm that will carry you into the new year with clarity and confidence, message me to book a coaching session. This is the work that changes everything.

About Liz Murray

Liz Murray helps leaders protect their energy, sharpen their influence, and lead with emotional stamina through her online course Be Exceptional, one to one coaching, and high impact workshops.

🌐 www.edgeofpossibilities.com.au
📩 [email protected]
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