mindyourbusiness: Creating High-Energy Environments
Imagine rushing to an emergency room with severe stomach cramps. Without any examination, no knowledge of your medical history, or asking any questions about your symptoms, a doctor who has never seen you before says, "I know exactly what's wrong" and prescribes a strong medication. This could be considered malpractice.
The same rings true in looking for ways to mobilize and energize others. There are many interconnected factors that inhibit or enhance energy. We can't really motivate others, but we can create a high-energy environment that dramatically magnifies and expands the energy of individuals, teams or organizations.
Those high-energy environments are the result of these timeless leadership principles:
Responsibility for Choices
People who feel victimized and powerless don't have a lot of energy for change and improvement. Many teams, and sometimes whole organizations, can become badly infected with the Victimitis Virus. This oftentimes involves developing excuses for not taking action since "it's not our fault." Turning this situation around often starts with getting people to see the problem and its paralyzing effects. Next steps may involve clarifying what is outside of our control, within our control and what we can influence.
Authenticity
A young boy came home and told his father the other kids kept stealing his pencils at school. The father stomped off to the school to complain. "It's not a matter of the pencils," he bellowed to his son's teacher. "I get plenty of those from work. It's the principle of the thing that bothers me most." An environment that doesn't ring true with honesty, integrity and trust is an environment that drains energy. My authenticity in changing me to change them is a key element in maintaining that environment. It is supported by openness and constant feedback.
Spirit and Meaning
Meaningless work that doesn't connect with a deeper part of us will drain energy. In recounting how his technology company, Lockheed Martin, survived and prospered after an industry downturn reduced its revenues by 50 percent, CEO Norman Augustine pointed to a key principle in mobilizing and energizing others, "The high sentiments always win in the end, the leaders who offer blood, toil, tears and sweat always get more out of their followers than those who offer safety and a good time. When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic."
Focus and Context
Our vision, values and purpose are at the center of our being. They also are the wellspring from which our energy flows. Individuals, teams and organizations with a strong sense of self, clear direction and meaningful purpose have a high degree of energy. A fuzzy focus or cloudy context (how I want to live my life or the team/organization's culture) leads to a scattered life and diffused energy.
By Jim Clemmer
Jim Clemmer's practical leadership and personal growth books, workshops and team retreats have helped hundreds of thousands of people worldwide improve personal, team and organizational performance. His website, JimClemmer.com, has more than 300 articles and dozens of video clips covering a broad range of topics on change, organization improvement, self-leadership and leading others. Sign-up to receive Clemmer's popular monthly newsletter, and follow his leadership blog. Clemmer's international best-sellers include The VIP Strategy, Firing on All Cylinders, Pathways to Performance, Growing the Distance, The Leader's Digest and Moose on the Table. His latest book is Growing @ the Speed of Change.