Leaders set the tone. Their demeanor, attitude, and perspective affect those around them and that gives them both a tremendous opportunity and a huge responsibility.
When you are acting in your leadership role, especially, you need to be aware of your energy. Your energy is always an influence.
Recall a time when you walked into someone’s office, room, or wherever they were, by themselves, and you could immediately sense that something was wrong. Don’t minimize the fact that you could pick up on this, even before they revealed a facial expression or uttered a word. This is what I mean by one’s “energy.”
The first priority for you as you seek to improve your leadership excellence is to practice and get extremely good at NOTICING YOUR ENERGY. Have a clear picture in mind of your ideal state of energy, one in which you feel strong, optimistic, and confident—or however you would describe the thoughts and feelings that you’d like to dwell in as much as humanly possible (no one is perfect, of course).
A business owner I know decided to monitor his energy with the help of his watch alarm. Every half hour, he is reminded to pause and notice what is going on in his mind and body. He described to me what he does next: “If I don’t feel strong, it’s because I’m indulging in something that weakens me. My intention, then, is to shift my energy.”
What are some things you do to shift your energy (some call this moving to a higher-level vibration)? Some efforts that pay off include:
- Change of scene (take your laptop and work from the patio for a while).
- Stop. Change. Start. (If something you are doing or reading is fueling anxiety, for example, switch to a completely different task.)
- Keep a journal (very popular, many swear by it).
- Read or write humor, jokes, limericks, haikus.
- Sure-fire method to shift your energy: Nature. (Walk outside to a green or waterside area.)
- Call a friend and listen for how you can be supportive to them/their needs.
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