#14- Energy Management: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First

Teamwork revolves around several essential pillars: relationships, clarity of focus, authenticity, and leadership. These elements are crucial for creating effective teams and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.

Building Strong Relationships

Building strong relationships is the foundation of teamwork. It’s about connecting with team members and understanding how we all contribute to the larger goals. Having clarity of focus means knowing where we are heading as a team and how each role fits into the bigger picture. Authenticity and congruence are about showing up as our true selves, which is fundamental for genuine leadership. Effective leadership plays a massive role in creating successful teams.

Managing Our Own Well-Being

Another critical aspect of being an effective leader is managing our own well-being. Today, I want to delve into the topic of energy management, which is especially relevant as we head into the summer. As you listen to this, I will be on vacation in the Greek Islands on a sailing boat, doing a digital detox. I pre-recorded this episode because I didn’t want you to miss out on our weekly connection.

The Importance of Energy Management

I want to start with a quote from Peter Drucker, a management consultant and guru, which encapsulates today’s discussion: “Your first and foremost job as a leader is to take charge of your own energy and then help orchestrate the energy of those around you.” Energy management and well-being are key for us as leaders. In my book “Unbridled Business,” I dedicate a whole chapter to this topic.

Leveraging Talents, Teams, and Time

Great leaders, who I call unbridled leaders, understand the importance of leveraging their own talents, their team, and their time. We are not superhuman, but we do have superpowers. One thing we can’t manage, however, is time. Time management is an illusion because we all have the same 24 hours in a day. The only way to create more time is by delegating and empowering team members to take on tasks, freeing up our own time.

The Shift Towards Energy Management

Unbridled leaders recognize that managing their energy levels is directly correlated to business success. In today’s high-pressure workplace, leaders need to model the way by putting on their own oxygen masks first. A leader with an empty fuel tank can’t support their team effectively. Therefore, energy management, not time management, is the fundamental currency of high performance.

Performance and Health

Performance, health, and well-being are grounded in the skillful management of energy. Leaders must ensure they model this for their team members so everyone can benefit from investing their energy wisely. When leaders and team members take responsibility for their energy, they become more empowered and productive. They can no longer blame others or external circumstances for how they feel.

Putting Well-Being First

Gabrielle Bernstein once said, “Putting your well-being first, like putting your oxygen mask on before you help the person next to you, really benefits all of your relationships.” This concept of energy management and self-care is crucial for all leaders, regardless of their level within an organization. Leadership is about influence, and everyone can influence others.

The Full Tank of Energy

Operating from a full tank of energy gives us the resources to support our team members. Leaders need to show that it’s okay to take time to rest and restore. This helps prevent burnout and improves overall workplace well-being. Today, there’s a strong focus on well-being in the workplace, and as leaders, we are stewards of organizational energy. We can inspire or demoralize others by how effectively we manage our own energy and mobilize the collective energy of our teams.

Creating Unbridled Engagement

Harnessing energy effectively creates what I call unbridled engagement in business. This occurs when team members are physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned with the business’s purpose. According to Gallup, only 20% of the global workforce is engaged. This presents a massive opportunity for leaders to improve performance by helping team members manage their energy levels.

The Benefits of an Engaged Workforce

An engaged workforce results in numerous benefits. Companies with high engagement rates experience a 59% reduction in employee turnover and a 41% decrease in absenteeism. This translates to higher productivity and significant cost savings, especially considering the losses associated with absenteeism and high turnover. The recent Great Resignation has highlighted the need for employers to focus on engagement and motivation.

The Secret Energy of Business

I want to discuss what I call the secret energy of business. Leaders today need to become emotionally self-aware and understand their impact on others on a physical and energetic level. Everything in the universe is made up of energy, and our vibrations attract similar vibrations. This interconnectedness means that our actions and behaviors impact those around us.

The Law of Cause and Effect

The law of cause and effect and the butterfly effect illustrate how seemingly inconsequential actions can have significant impacts. For example, a butterfly flapping its wings in New Mexico could eventually cause a hurricane in China. This concept underscores the importance of understanding the ripple effect of our actions.

Focusing on the “We” in Business

In business, we need to focus on the “we” rather than the “I.” When team members act from a place of “I,” they fail to consider the broader impact of their actions. Recognizing this interconnectedness helps us make better decisions and take actions that positively influence others.

Different Types of Energy Management

Initially, I planned to discuss different types of energy management today, but I realize this topic deserves its own episode. We have physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy, each requiring different renewal strategies. I’ll delve into these in a future podcast.

Managing Team Energy

For now, let’s focus on managing the energy of our team members. Engaging in well-being conversations helps develop resilience skills necessary for coping with our rapidly changing world. During my well-being training sessions, I emphasize the importance of leaders managing their own energy levels to role model well-being for their teams.

Role Modeling Well-Being

Only when team members see their leaders taking downtime to rest and refuel will they feel permission to do the same. In my corporate role, we had a culture where no one left before the boss. This is not a sustainable way to run a business. We need to shift to a model that values output over hours worked and allows for flexible work arrangements.

Customising Well-Being Plans

When thinking about well-being, remember that what works for one person might not work for another. Encourage your team members to develop their own well-being plans that suit their individual needs. Small, consistent changes in well-being practices can have a significant impact over time. This compound effect of small daily actions is more sustainable and effective than drastic changes that are hard to maintain.

The Power of Energy Management

In conclusion, the most important thing we can do as leaders is to manage our energy and help our team members manage theirs. This leads to more productive and cohesive teams. I hope you found this discussion on energy management enlightening. It’s a fascinating topic that isn’t discussed enough in business. I look forward to exploring different energy management strategies in our next episode.

Final Thoughts

Please leave your comments below and share this podcast with anyone who might benefit from it. Don’t forget to take the Impactful Teamwork quiz, linked in the show notes, to identify areas to work on for building an impactful team.

From the sunny shores of Greece, where I’m managing my well-being, I hope you get the opportunity to do the same this summer. Until next time, take care and be mindful of your energy.

Show Notes:

Here are the highlights from this episode: