Author and Longtime Hill Aide John Leganski Has a New Book and a New Morning Routine
Good morning. I actually love mornings, and am fascinated with how people spend theirs. So, we are introducing a new column where we ask successful people how they start the day.
It’s been cited a lot recently that it is rare for a former congressional staffer to write a book. That’s true. But what’s rarer is a political book that weaves intriguing behind-the-scenes details with a type of field guide for congressional staffers, present and future.
Author John Leganski achieves that feat in his new book that is out today, Glory, Grief, and the Gavel.
The never-before-told story from the race for House Speaker in 2023 has captured the media’s attention. But the protocols he lays out for successfully operating in any political setting, be it a boardroom, HOA meeting, or the floor of the House of Representatives, will have years of impact.
Here’s how he starts his day.
What time do you get up and what’s the first thing you do?
Whenever my daughter wakes up (usually around 7 or 7:30 AM) but then I have to pretend to be asleep so she can wake me up.
What is your relationship with technology in the first hour or so after waking up, and how has it changed since leaving the Hill?
I usually wake up and scan a newsletter or two in my inbox, though nowhere near as obsessively as when we were on the Hill. I am trying my best to go phone-less until I can get my wife and daughter out of the house in the morning around 8 AM (to varying degrees of success).
You have a book out today, called Glory, Grief, and the Gavel, which documents Kevin McCarthy’s fight for the speakership in 2023. What time of the day did you find most productive for writing it?
Nighttime, for sure. I am a big night owl. Most of the first draft was written between the hours of 10 PM and 1 AM (with the occasional Woodford on the rocks for added motivation). I find that’s the only uninterrupted time I really have for myself.
During the Speaker race, was there a member that would regularly text you first thing in the morning? And if so, what was usually the nature of the communication?
Besides Kevin, I texted a bunch with both Patrick McHenry and Chip Roy during the Speaker’s race. But I prefer phone calls, especially on my commute in.
What was the morning you dreaded most while working on Capitol Hill?
Conference meeting mornings.
You’re getting the first phone call of the day … who, most likely, is it?
Probably Matt Sparks!
Are there any morning protocols you follow? Ice baths, morning sun, fasting, etc.?
My wife says I take extremely long showers (like 20-30 minutes). I had a cold plunge phase when we had a bath in our old apartment that I wouldn’t mind getting back into someday.
You are offering advice to a young staffer: First in the office? Or last to leave?
Last to leave by far. Some of my best nights on the Hill were after hours, reflecting on the day, sharing stories. Wouldn’t trade those for anything.
You can buy Glory, Grief, and the Gavel here. 
