What Kind of Energy Do You Lead With?

July 8, 2024

Good morning! Whew!  I just spent five whole days away from my desk — and away from my computer — but not away from my mobile phone. We immensely enjoyed the holy days cloistered behind the vibrancy of our prairie plants with, we think, 10 or 11 grandchildren. We just barely survived as we were treated concurrently to the birth of a Monarch Butterfly. If someone, anyone, can pretend to not be in absolute awe watching the egg-to-caterpillar-to-chrysalis-to butterfly phenomenon, please share your words. Anecdotal:  Fewer than 10% of drivers stop for pedestrians in uncontrolled crosswalks.

• Where are you when it comes to adapting to, adopting, and adjusting to generative artificial intelligence?
  • Please report your score(s).
• Countdown to the Olympics:  18 Days
• Have you had the experience of wanting to go to work — and of wanting to be at work?
  • If you have, it is a great feeling and one you seek more of.
  • Chances are, part of the reason for such a positive feeling is or was the energy generated by the leader, positive energy.
• The following is informed by Torres, Etc., et al., of Boston Consulting Group:
  • In every interaction, leaders radiate energy.
  • This energy can be positive or negative — and it doesn’t affect just the immediate recipient.
  • Rather, it amplifies across the organization through word of mouth, social media, and ultimately rebounding back to the originator.
  • A negative meeting with a leader is rarely self-contained.
    • As Faulkner wrote, ‘the past is never dead.  It’s not even past.’
  • Perceptive leaders can amplify their own influence and pick up on the energy levels within their organizations.
  • They understand when they need to convey intensity and when they need to be calm, because putting out too much energy can be wasteful…
  • They also draw strength from their teams and recognize when they need to adjust their approach.
    • ‘First and foremost, be a human.’
  • Conversely, displaying too little energy can zap an organization of motivation and set a negative tone.
  • Leaders should be willing to display passion and enthusiasm, or they risk being viewed as difficult to know, distant, and/or disconnected.
  • Sometimes leaders amplify energy by presenting a calm demeanor, especially during tough times.
    • Said one CEO, ‘I look to be the thermostat of my organization, not the thermometer.’
• How to climb Mount Everest?
  • Two essentials seem to matter most:
    • An experienced guide, and
    • A willingness to do the hard work.  (Segel, Etc., et al.)
• Your leadership requires courage — and its impact is lasting.  (Eades)
• Looking for a summer beach read — and a reprise of George’s 1984?
  • Flip a few pages of:  2054
  • “… a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence combines with the U.S.A.’s violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country, and the world.”
• Watch for it in these pages next week:  The $5.3 billion cost of finding — and keeping — skilled workers.