Nothing intrigues me more than reading the biographies of leaders and how they accomplished some unbelievable feats. There are thousands of books and probably millions of articles written on LEADERSHIP, yet many of them will go unread unless one makes a deliberate effort to seek out this vital information. In this week's lesson, we will discuss the importance of high energy leadership in your organization or business.
I believe that to be a great leader you must have a high degree of ENERGY and be able to energize those that follow you. As a leader, you can make your job much easier by screening and hiring individuals that possess high energy levels and are eager to accomplish the goals of your team, company or organization. Then lead by setting a great example, as you motivate your team to move together in the same direction.
I believe that leaders need to focus on creating urgency in their people which builds into momentum and motivation to do the tasks that are necessary to succeed. They must encourage and reward the achievements that result from the display of high energy within their group. Always keep in mind that everyone enjoys being praised for performing well. A sure way to energize individuals is to let them know that you appreciate their results both in private and public.
Leaders should strive to avoid using their energy to terrorize or micromanage their people because these acts will just drain them of their energy and spirit. Just because someone works for you doesn't mean that you OWN them. They own themselves! Whenever a leader oversteps his or her bounds, the energy level of the group will surely dissipate.
Energy can serve as an environmental booster in your workplace. It creates and sustains the momentum needed to achieve goals and makes lulls and setbacks more temporary. There is a psychological reason why you see football players get all fired up before a game. When the energy is high, nothing seems insurmountable. And some of the most amazing things can be accomplished through high energy levels. This past week we watched Michael Phelps win eight gold Olympic medals in swimming. At age 23, he displayed to the world what high energy levels can accomplish as an individual swimmer and as a team leader.
To attract motivated individuals to your team, a leader MUST be ENERGIZED first. Energy-less people will attract energy-less team members. If a leader isn't excited and passionate, how can he or she get their team members excited and passionate?
What if you have an established business and you've noticed that throughout the years the energy level seems to have virtually disappeared? How do you get it back? As the leader, you will have to display a higher level of energy first. Not just for a day or two, but consistently. Your employees will begin to take notice of their newly excited boss. By seeing the boss energized and excited they'll get excited as well. Soon, you'll notice that the energy will be back in your organization. High energy will be the norm for all rather than the exception. Peer pressure will insure that low energy will no longer be tolerated among the group.
What if you have a few employees who are a total drag on the company morale? What if they just won't buy into the new found enthusiasm of the group no matter what? Well, it's your job as a leader to see that these people are let go, to find another job that may excite them. They're working at the wrong place. As a high energy leader, it's your responsibility to create a high energy workplace. Don't settle for anything less. The success of the entire group depends on a strong leader who can make tough decisions. Don't procrastinate when it comes to replacing those who don't fit into your high energy environment.
There is truth to the term, "You're only as strong as the weakest link." Not every job is right for everybody. Many people should be working at other places; doing jobs where their natural abilities can be utilized. If you have employees who think that their job is equivalent to some kind of punishment, they do not belong in your organization.
Just like the General Manager of a baseball team tries to stack up the best possible team that he can, so must you create a roster of high-energy people who want to accomplish the goals of the team.
So take a hard look around your work environment and rate yourself and your people on Energy Level. Then go to work NOW on stepping up that energy level a few notches at a time! A high energy environment is a FUN place to be!