Leaders need energy.
As one of my mentors, Mary Kay Ash said, “The speed of the leader is the speed of the team.”
Could this also mean the energy of the leader reflects the energy of the team?
I don’t know about you but that thought makes me feel a bit of pressure. Like time, we can’t just go out and buy more energy…or can we?
On second thought, I guess we CAN buy energy. But there are health risks with energy drinks and pushing ourselves beyond our natural energy capacity. I am one of those people who see my body, which includes my brain as my most important asset, so fueling it with unhealthy energy drinks isn’t an option for me. But, there are other ways we can increase our energy capacity, which include diet and exercise.
They are also things that affect our energy levels. One little-known factor is our temperament. It has a huge effect on how our energy ebbs and flows.
A simple definition of temperament is “The manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting of a specific person.”
We behave in certain ways because those behaviors give us energy.
What determines our temperament?
Genetics and environment mostly, but it plays out in our pursuit of energy.
Here’s an example:
I’m an extrovert.
People energize me.
My most naturally energetic time of the day is the morning.
During my most productive days, my mornings are spent doing administrative and creative activities—Tasks or things that drain me,
and then
my afternoons are spent peopling because I collect energy when I’m with people.
Other people are energized by tasks and drained by people. Most of us live and work in a world where we have to do both. Understanding this concept and planning accordingly will help us to be more productive, less stressed, and enjoy our day. The problem we have is when we constantly compare (a post for another day) ourselves to the latest Instagram influencer and then change our routine with every new idea.
As we say in almost every post, workshop, or coaching session–first we must know ourselves, if we are to lead ourselves and lead others.
Remember, the most important tool a leader has for inspiring and leading their team is energy.
As Peter Drucker says, Your first and foremost job as a leader is to raise your own energy level and then to help raise and orchestrate the energies of those around you.
How do you plan your day?
Do you factor your natural energy levels into the planning?
Would you like to know about temperaments and behavioral styles click here?
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