How to Energize Yourself and Others
I thought self-awareness was something for dope-smoking hippies. It doesn’t matter how you feel. Just do your job. But…
Lack of self-awareness limits leadership.
Self-awareness and energy:
Self-management requires self-awareness.
Self-awareness enables you to monitor and manage personal energy. Managing personal energy is the essence of self-management.
Coaching and energy:
Energy for the second step comes from taking the first.
Coaching-leaders ignite positive energy by helping others identify and take first steps toward desired results.
Progress creates energy; stagnation drains it.
The more you believe you’re moving forward the more energy you have. But, lack of progress produces “why try” attitudes.
Long-term failure propagates itself.
Coaching-leaders design projects around a series of small wins and celebrations.
Uncertainty and energy:
Identify positive goals; take imperfect steps forward.
All you need is reasonable confidence that your behaviors won’t cause harm.
Just try something that seems likely to help.
Empathy and energy:
Stephen Covey writes, “When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems.”
When others believe you care, energy increases.
7 energy insights:
- Action produces energy.
- Your energy bleeds on others, for benefit or detriment.
- Results depend on energy.
- Results produce energy.
- High energy is happiness; low is discouragement.
- Complaints, stagnation, and blame drain energy.
- You are responsible for your energy.
Bonus: Successful leaders monitor and manage the team’s energy.
How might leaders manage and monitor personal energy?
How might leaders ignite and fuel energy in others?
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Lots of energy in this post, Dan. Great way to start the day, don’t you think?
Very energizing! 🙂
Great reminders!! Seeing this happen right before my eyes with my classroom staff. It is so true that showing deep empathy drops the defenses and is replaced with positive energy. We never know how others will be affected by what is said or viewed, because of various background and experiences, so it is always good to stay on top of monitoring the energy in the environment so that misunderstandings can be addressed.
Thanks Nicole. Apart from curiosity, the number one thing I do when coaching is monitor energy. When energy drops, I wonder what’s happening and how to address it.
Couldn’t agree more. You’ll be surprised by how far you could get by just having the right attitude and self-awereness
Among many posts that have a great message, this might be the best one I’ve read… You put your best energy insight last!!! We all have choices – and the most important is to choose action – that certainly won’t be the perfect choice, can’t be… But self-assessment will suggest refinements leading to better success and more energy. And the spiral continues in a positive direction!!!
to know yourself is one of the tenets from “The Art of War” too.
Dan,
Most difficult task to accomplish is to maintain the positive energy to become constant everyday! Feeling refreshed after a project is tough day in day out, some people just can do this constantly in a orderly fashion, while others bare the burden of the task endlessly seeing no end insight. As stated above action, fulfillment, self assessment all good items.
Managing/monitoring your own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy is a subject near and dear to me. It is easier to ignite and fuel others when you know how to do so for yourself. As you and Covey say, empathy for self and others decreases defensiveness and leads to positive, creative solutions. Practice and celebrate the behaviors you want in yourself and celebrate the accomplishments/wins/behaviors you want in others.
Thanks, Dan.
Sincere empathy takes energy, but it’s so worth it to step outside of yourself and to really care about how someone thinks and feels. Although I haven’t been in practice for several years now, I think my nursing training has been a tremendous asset in the work I do now, for just that reason. The trust that people have in you when you’ve taken the time to really care–what an energizing gift that can be for everyone.
Reminds me of another post I read on this site, Energy Vampires! When we identify what gives and takes energy, we can properly invest in things that recharge us! -Great Article!
Great stuff. I got charged up reading this.
Great stuff. I got charged up reading this.
when I read this it’s motivates me, thanks Dan;-)
Second that (practically all of the above). Come to the workplace full of positive energy – and watch others’ attitude & behavior undergo a dramatic change. Turn up with a “hate y’all” expression – and be ready to spend the day patching things up…