Not everyone has it, but leaders who exhibit a boundless energy have a hidden edge in getting others to perform at the highest level. The energy they exude influences how team members view the leader’s commitment and animates the work others do. That’s because energy is both highly contagious and greatly symbolic.
Energy from a leader can be highly infectious. When leaders exude high energy, it inspires others to up their game and bring more zest to what they do. Team members are more willing to expend energy and effort when the leader does.
Emanating from the leader, high energy spreads down and throughout the team. It builds on itself as each team member reflects the energy they feel from others. In many instances, energy can catapult a team forward, providing it with the fuel it needs to sustain focused activity.
When people are passionate about what they do, committed to making progress, and focused on getting others to contribute all they can, they naturally convey a higher energy. Team members who observe a leader with a high motor and a boundless energy make a commonsense inference. They view those leaders as more committed, dedicated, and focused than those leaders with lower energy.
In essence, the high energy exhibited by a leader tells the team that the workplace and the work really matter to them.
Not every leader is blessed with boundless energy, but all leaders can lead with more passion and enthusiasm. Any time a leader wants to convey importance to a project or assignment, they can choose to raise their own personal energy around the work. Good leaders find a way to infuse their leadership and the team with the energy that animates them.
As the musician Lou Reed once said, “High energy does not necessarily mean fast; high energy has to do with the heart.” High-energy leaders may not have more heart and passion for what they do, but everyone thinks they do.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
