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We’ve all worked with leaders who were utterly clueless. Completely oblivious to those around them, to their environment and worse, their own behavior, they blame external forces for their difficulties, blindly making their way through the world never quite understanding why their careers have stalled or why their teams have resorted to pettiness and infighting.
It’s not necessarily that they’re bad people; they simply haven’t mastered the one thing that can help them level up their leadership: their energy.
I’ve long believed that the most successful leaders are emotionally intelligent and possess a high level of self-awareness. They have a clear understanding of how they move through the world, but also how their energy affects others. They know that everything is connected—their interactions with other people, how they’re perceived, their attitude and responses in the moment—and all can be enhanced through better self-awareness.
In researching this topic, I came across the work of Bruce D. Schneider, author and founder of iPEC (the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching), and whose beliefs strongly mirror my own. In his seminal book, Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core, Schneider introduces the notion of Energy Leadership, which he defines as “the process that develops a personally effective style of leadership, one that positively influences and changes not only yourself, but also those with whom you work and interact, as well as your organization as a whole.” Schneider says that Energy Leadership is also the “ability to shift, or lead, energy to make it work for you, those around you, and your organization.”
But to harness the power of your energy (which Schneider equates to potential output), you first have to recognize how it manifests. According to Schneider, there are two basic types of energy, which take their names from the hormones they produce in the body: anabolic, which is intentional and constructive, and catabolic, which is reactive and destructive.
Ideal leaders are anabolic leaders, meaning they create and automatically attract success. But sadly, Schneider says nearly 85% of leaders are catabolic, destroying the energy and momentum of the people around them and the company as a whole, often without knowing they’re doing so.
Understanding the level of self-awareness, or consciousness, as Schneider refers to it, at which you’re operating is the key to unlocking your leadership potential. He says there are seven energy levels, from the most catabolic to the most anabolic leader:
Level 1 - You possess a victim mentality, believing you have no choice and that things are happening to you. You’re in crisis mode, fearful, anxious, sad, and fail to take action.
Level 2 - You feel a need to fight and can’t trust anyone to do it right. You’re angry, combative, and resentful, and have an “us versus them” attitude. You’re probably a micromanager.
Level 3 - You have positive thoughts and the ability to accept responsibility for your actions. You’re fair, logical, and resilient.
Level 4 - You focus on your team and have exceptional people skills. You view circumstances and people objectively and are compassionate, playful, generous, and helpful.
Level 5 - You are open-minded and view challenges as opportunities for growth and development. You don’t try to change others; instead, you focus on accepting and reconciling differences. You are calm, optimistic, and at peace.
Level 6 - You are driven by your intuition and could be a creative genius and visionary. You see others around you as an extension of yourself, which fosters an attitude of empowerment and achievement among team members, creating win-win scenarios.
Level 7 - You are the rarest type of leader with a complete lack of blame, shaming, and fear of failure. You don’t make judgments, are passionate and fearless, and create and observe at the same time.
Schneider believes that your level of consciousness, and the energy it produces, will attract or repel desired or undesired people, events, and outcomes. Leaders at levels one and two have fragile egos and believe it’s all about them; those in the higher levels have healthy egos and are increasingly open to the ideas of others. The higher your level of consciousness, the more energy you have, and the more productive, peaceful, powerful, and healthy you are.
The good news, says Schneider, is that your energy level is not fixed, but instead, operates on a fluid spectrum. Even if today, you find yourself hovering at a combative level two, pausing to reflect and acknowledge your behaviors can help you move into a healthier and more productive energy level.
Ultimately, when you are more aware of your energy and its impact on others, you can work to more consistently and effectively channel it into higher-level thinking and become a more effective and successful leader.
