I was deep into a barbell deadlift, listening to Lifting Lindsay, when a line stopped me cold:
“Excitement is not a strategy.”
I finished the set and then paused the podcast—not because it was a novel insight, but because it was so immediately transferable to the workplace.
Excitement is not a strategy. And it’s not a plan, either.
In fitness, excitement is what gets you to sign up for a gym membership, commit to a race, or decide that this time you’re really going to stop eating Cheetos for breakfast. Your plan is what gets you through the boring middle, when motivation dips, progress slows, and discipline matters more than inspiration.
In organizations, excitement launches initiatives. Plans are what keeps them alive once the announcement glow wears off.
Chiefs of Staff live squarely in that gap.
Where Excitement Shows Up in Organizations
Most leaders don’t lack vision or energy. What they often lack is infrastructure. Excitement shows up as a strong point of view, a sense of urgency, or a conviction that “now is the moment.” That energy can be powerful. It rallies people, creates momentum, and signals confidence. But without structure, it also creates whiplash priorities, half-launched initiatives, and burnout disguised as ambition.
Excitement starts the engine. It doesn’t steer.
That’s why Chiefs of Staff often experience excitement differently than most people in the organization. You don’t experience it as inspiration alone. You experience it as downstream impact. You see the tradeoffs before they’re named, the capacity constraints before they’re acknowledged, and the execution risks while others are still energized by the idea.
That doesn’t make you a blocker. It makes you accountable.
And accountability requires structure.
Harnessing Excitement Without Killing Dreams
The most effective Chiefs of Staff don’t tamp down excitement. They shape it. They don’t lead with “Should we?” or slow things down with skepticism. Instead, they redirect energy toward questions that make execution possible.
They sound like this:
“How could we design this so it really sticks?”
“When would this land best, given everything else in motion?”
“What would make this successful in the first 60 to 90 days?”
This framing doesn’t dampen enthusiasm. It gives it legs. Excitement becomes an input into the execution plan rather than a substitute for one.
Turning Energy Into Meaningful Action
When excitement shows up, it’s useful data. It signals what matters emotionally, where urgency is felt, and where leaders are ready to move. The Chief of Staff’s job is not to suppress that signal, but to translate it into decisions that hold up over time.
That means…
- Sequencing instead of pile-on.
- Cadence instead of chaos.
- Ownership instead of assumption.
Done well, planning doesn’t drain excitement. It protects it from burnout.
The Last Drop
Great Chiefs of Staff don’t tell leaders to slow down. They help them aim their energy. They don’t temper enthusiasm; they make it durable. Because excitement fades. Systems endure. And when the adrenaline wears off—as it always does—a solid plan is what keeps the work moving forward.
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