Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance. Performance, health and happiness are grounded in the skillful management of energy. The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not. It is our most precious resource. Excerpts from “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
As a leader, you are the steward of your team members’ energy. Here are ten things you can do to keep energy at a high level on your team:
- Say what you will do and do what you say. When people know you are a person of integrity and they can count on you, their trust level goes up and they can use their energy in productive pursuits.
- Help people remember their past successes. People have a tendency to vividly remember their past mistakes and failures and forget or diminish their past successes. By helping them remember their past successes, you help them boost their energy.
- Help people set short-term goals and break more complex goals into “bite-sized,” chunks. When people enjoy frequent successes, they become energized. The saying that “success breeds success” is absolutely true. Small successes lead to big successes.
- Look for opportunities to recognize and praise people. Praise is a great elixir. It builds self-esteem, bolsters self-image, and creates an adrenalin rush that generates an abundance of energy. Praise is the catalyst for energy.
- Help people focus on the next step. When people realize the power of progressive realization and develop an “I can do that (next step)” attitude, improved performance and success are inevitable which, in turn, helps create more energy.
- Help people identify their passion. Passion creates energy. When people know what their passion is and take steps to pursue and fulfill it, they are going to be energized.
- Inspect what you expect. People respect you more when you inspect what you expect. This helps people become more accountable, and being accountable produces energy.
- Keep score. Keeping score helps people know whether they are winning or losing and stamps out uncertainty. Certainty creates energy. Uncertainty drains energy. As a leader, one of your most important jobs is to help stamp out uncertainty.
- Encourage people. When people feel encouraged, they can overcome incredible adversity. Overcoming adversity builds self-esteem and generates more energy.
- Help people bring out their enthusiasm. Enthusiasm gives people energy. It creates a positive aura and helps people relax and feel confident.
Being fully engaged in work you enjoy generates energy. A high energy level will help you feel invigorated, confident, challenged, joyful, and connected. All of these characteristics will help you be the “generator” for the members of your team.