Leadership Story | Leaders Understand Energy

It has been a privilege getting to know a Christian-based organization following an open-enrollment Leadership Excellence Course this summer at the USAF Academy. We may ask ourselves, what does a Christian-based organization have to do with leadership?

Good question. Let’s consider the scope of our follow on engagement, an Energize2Lead Workshop. Energy has a great deal to do with leadership. How many of us would ever say we we were energized by a demotivating leader, or more simply, a sourpuss? Not likely.

Tony Schwartz comes to mind, especially during the U.S. Open tennis tournament, since he has coached many tennis pros. Tony focuses on managing our energy levels, and that we can apply that to our own effectiveness as leaders.

According to Tony, we have four personal energy dimensions: Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual. We’re probably pretty comfortable talking about our physical energy levels, with diet and exercise such everyday topics. How many of the other three dimensions do we think about, in the workplace, particularly when we think about what we share of ourselves and what we learn about those in our charge?

Back to the client. This client, during our Energize2Lead Workshop, not surprisingly was quite different. We started off with a moment of prayer, beginning with the energy dimension we likely neglect the most, the spiritual.

Let’s stop for a moment. How often do we think of our jobs, or work, as something that contributes to our spiritual selves? Big question.

Just as there are multiple dimensions to our energy levels, there are multiple dimensions to ourselves as leaders, which may be shared with others in order to ignite the passions we truly want if we seek engagement, or to be effective leaders that matter. These are interesting things, the unique things that comprise our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual selves. What things form your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual self? Courage moment: What would it take for you to share these things, in your Personal Leadership Philosophy, in a coaching session, or when just getting to know your team.

How might your subordinates follow you differently if they knew such things?

Consider all four of these dimensions.

Great leaders understand energy.