The Leader and Energy

A leader must have energy and the ability to create energy. A leader puts out a minimum of twice as much energy as those he/she is leading. Jack Welch defines these actions as . . .

ENERGY: “Energy is the ability to go, go, go–-to thrive on action and relish change. People with positive energy are generally extroverted and optimistic. They make conversation and friends easily. They’re people who don’t complain about working hard–-they love to work. They also love to play and overall just love life.”

ENERGIZE: “This is the ability to get others revved up. People who energize can inspire their team to take on the impossible–-and enjoy doing it. The ability to energize is apparent in someone with an in-depth knowledge of their business, who sets a powerful personal example, and has strong persuasion skills.”These are essential ingredients because the energy level of any team or organization is the simplest measure of its health.

It’s not just getting the work done—it is the level and strength of the excitement and satisfaction. Everyone shares the vision, and the energized sense of what can be becomes the organizational glue. An energized organization bubbles over with enthusiasm, humor, and collaboration. Consider burned-out leaders or team members They may get the work done, but there is no enthusiasm or energy. They are drained of energy and initiative. The distinctive qualities and traits that make them valuable and successful disappear. We even need energy to access our strengths.

A key insight from Jesse Lyn Stoner in his Full Steam Aheadbook is this: “If you are clear about your vision, and if you are honest about your present realities, you don’t have to figure everything out.” We find ourselves drawntoward the compelling future. Great leaders don’t motivate people. They provide energizing experiences that enable people to tap into their visionary capacities. Effective leadership plugs people into powerful energy sockets. The mission statement of any organization is only a piece of paper unless and until it is felt and experienced on a daily basis, drawing us to our strengths. An energized sense of mission enables ordinary people to team up and accomplish extraordinary things. Effective and energized leaders stir the heart and enrich the brain.

Jonathan Fussell, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander, transitioned to the world of finance and management consulting. According to Fussell, while the cycle of planning, rehearsing, executing, and reviewing occurs over weeks and even months in most organizations, our nation’s most elite military units routinely compress this cycle into days and often hours. Recognizing their limited bandwidth, leaders operating with such time constraints must actively and proactively engage team members to process the right information at the right time. “Great combat leaders,” Fussell explains, “shape an environment that allows the team to effectively disseminate the intelligence that is needed within the available bandwidth.” It is this energized “shaping of the battle space” that is at the root of a team’s strategic vision and empowerment.

We often hear of micromanagers, Fussell observes, but “the term 'microleader' does not exist.” Leaders lead, not just with vision, but with foresight—and by engaging the strengths of team members in flexibly implementing plans as battle conditions evolve. The significance of this is thateffective leadership transforms people emotionally and cognitively. In the environment energized by the right leadership, we tap into hidden strengths and become better versions of ourselves: seeing more, doing more, learning more.Energy is the magical potion of leadership. Your enthusiasm, belief in the possible, and your leadership style, all depend on the energy you exude. It determines your magnetism as a leader, and it is the secret sauce of charisma and inspiration.

Think of all the great leaders throughout history and your own personal experience. It is always about people. Great leaders spark change in others. Everything from meetings to sales hinges on your energy. As a leader, you have the power to inject as much energy into each energy encounter as you choose. You control the dial of energy in the room. You control the thermostat of energy and creativity in the room. If the “average” energy is less than great, you have to make the breakthrough. Think at least five percent more energy. Start by adding five percent more energy than everyone else: more enthusiasm, more engagement, and more passion. A few will begin to respond, and over time others will begin engaging. Great ideas feed off the enthusiasm of the group. Problems fade. People become less focused on what cannot be done and more on what can be achieved. Teams, energized by you, feel a greater sense of empowerment and creativity.

Carey Nieuhowf has some potent and pertinent suggestions for leaders who need to ignite their own energy. He suggests a three-step process that sounds incredibly simple:

STEP ONE: IDENTIFY WHEN YOUR ENERGY IS AT ITS PEAK.

STEP TWO (THE SECRET SAUCE): RANK ACTIVITIES IN TERMS OF WHETHER THEY ENERGIZE YOU OR DRAIN YOU

STEP THREE: DO WHAT YOU’RE BEST AT WHEN YOU’RE AT YOUR BESTRead the whole article HERE and get going!

Having energy and energizing others is critical to your leadership success and joy, and inspiring it in others.