The 5 Percent Rule of Energized Leadership

Energy is the elixir of leadership. Your enthusiasm, belief in the possible and your leadership style, all depend on the energy you exude. Energy determines your magnetism as a leader and it is the secret sauce of charisma and inspiration.

Think of all the great leaders in business, politics and society? Each had an irrepressible energy to create change, bring value to the market and enable others to contribute to the summit of their abilities.

Where managers are guided to make a better widget, inspiring leaders create value, heighten a team’s capabilities and lead with an inexhaustible energy that rocks our world.

It is strange that being an inspirational leader and the energy required for it, is rarely taught in business schools. Instead, leadership is often seen as the cold application of theories and abstracts. But leadership is not an abstract theory. It is about people. Leadership is about sparking change in others.

The fact is every business encounter — meeting, pitch or sale- hinges on your energy. You can take your leadership IQ to the next level by upping your energy. It is easy and the results can be spectacular.

Let’s start at the bad end. Those dull, damp and boring meetings that seem to go on forever. We have all been to one. Perhaps, too many.

What is the energy at these meetings? Low. Few are mobilized to find a solution. People are disengaged. Everyone leaves feeling neutral, if not dejected. What more, the results are often equally bad. Customers do not buy.

Now think of a recent meeting that had energy. Where ideas seem to sparkle. Connections were made. Customers left happy. What was the difference? The answer is simple: energy!!!

As a leader you have the power to inject as much energy into each business encounter as you choose. You control the dial of energy in the room. If you exuded greater energy the room will follow.

It is a simple process. First take the “energy” temperature of meeting. The business “default” is often stoic professionalism. You have to change it, if you want better results. If the “average” energy is less than great, you have make the breakthrough. You have to turn it up not one notch but five. Think at least five percent more energy.

After all, as the leader you have opportunity to set the level of energy in the room. So you — as the leader- start adding five percent more energy than everyone else: more enthusiasm, more engagement, and more passion.

How do others respond? Some will always hold back. But others will begin to change: transform. They become more alive. They begin slowly to mirror and mimic the energy you bring the conversation, often without even realizing they are doing it.

As they change, the majority takes note and begins the process of engaging. They emerge. They sit straight, then begin to lean into the discussion. They start to contribute. The ground is shifting. The bar is raised.

What is the result? The ideas and suggestions have accelerated. Energy sparks creativity. Great ideas feed off the enthusiasm of group. Excitement provokes in us to see limitations not as barriers, but starting point for something greater.

Problems fade. People become less focused on what cannot be done and more on what can be achieved. Challenges that seemed insurmountable become humbled. Challenges turn from stone into something more playful, and hence more solvable.

Greater energy brings with it an ability to see around a problem, not fixated on the problem. Teams, energized by you, feel a greater sense of empowerment and creativity. Ideas are the manifestations of creativity. Energy is electric current that sparks creativity, forms ideas and leads to innovations.

Final Thoughts

Inspiring others to their greatness, is the key role of leaders. Your energy is the fuel. Adding just five percent more energy to every encounter sets the temperature of creativity of your team. Charisma is energy, a leader’s energy. Being aware of the average amount of energy in any meetings lets you set the bar higher. Your greatness is just five extra percent of energy away.

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About the Author

Simon Trevarthen is Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Elevate Your Greatness (EYG). EYG helps individuals, teams and organizations unpack the secrets of success by becoming even better versions of themselves through dynamic keynotes, seminars and workshops on innovation, inspiration and presentation excellence.

Learn more about Elevate Your Greatness see www.elevateyourgreatness.com

Follow EYG on twitter: @Simon Trevarthen

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