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Last week I wrote about being a human being, not a human doing, and I was surprised at how much it resonated. Activity alone is not strategic. Instead, we must ensure we are working on the right things.
Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, would evaluate his day from the perspective of a lion, asking himself: “Did I chase mice or hunt antelope today?”
The concept is recounted in multiple books, including Tools of Titans, by Tim Ferriss.
A lion is fully capable of capturing, killing, and eating a field mouse. But it turns out the energy required to do so exceeds the caloric content of the mouse itself. So a lion that spent its day hunting and eating field mice would slowly starve to death. A lion can't live on field mice. A lion needs antelope.
Antelopes are big animals. They take more speed and strength to capture and kill, and once killed, they provide a feast for the lion and her pride. A lion can live a long and happy life on a diet of antelope.
The distinction is important. Are you spending all your time and exhausting all your energy catching field mice? In the short term it might give you a nice, rewarding feeling. But in the long run you're going to die.
So ask yourself at the end of the day, "Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?"
This isn't just clever imagery - it's the stark difference between busy leaders and effective ones.
In sales, your "antelope" are those strategic clients who can transform your business, not the dozen small accounts that keep you running in circles.
In leadership, it's tackling your organization's #1 problem head-on instead of obsessing over processes that barely move the needle.
The mice will always be there - those quick wins, those easy tasks that make you feel productive. They're tempting because they're immediate and visible.
But at the end of the day, a menu of mice still leaves you hungry.
Hunting an antelope requires more effort, more focus, more courage. Doing so demands that you say "no" to good opportunities so you can say "yes" to great ones. It forces you to think beyond today's satisfaction toward tomorrow's feast.
At the end of each day, ask yourself one simple question - "Did I hunt antelope or chase mice?" Your honest answer will tell you more about your leadership effectiveness than any performance review ever could.
