Vitality, high-energy, enthusiasm—Have you noticed that exemplary leaders who deliver exemplary results have those characteristics?
Just like you can’t light a fire with a wet match, you can’t fire up your team members if you don’t have vitality.
Think about the leaders you work with—those who’re tired, stressed and drained of energy are unlikely to have created an energetic, composed and dynamic team of direct reports.
And the leaders who’re fired up find that it’s a piece-of-cake to fire up their team to be highly productive and goal achieving, don’t they?
Importantly, I’m not suggesting that vitality equates to wild, arm-waving behaviour. Exemplary leaders are always business-like and professional whilst they share their vitality.
Also, I don’t for a moment suggest that you loose the real you in this process. No matter if it’s natural for you to be quieter and more introverted, you can still overlay that more private, introverted you with a vitality that is still you. It’d be a more restrained, subdued vitality, that’s all.
We’ll look at what you can do to make certain that you have this vitality that all exemplary leaders have. But first let’s look at what might be currently getting in your way…
What’s Zapping Your Vitality?
99% of kids have tonnes of energy, vitality and enthusiasm, right?
And as those kids grow into adults, their energy, vitality and enthusiasm wanes. What’s going on here?
Check this list to see what could be true for you:
- You’re overwhelmed. Your focus is on day-to-day survival—either on getting through your humungous workload, on coping financially, or on attempting to manage your anxiety.
- You’re living with a few important, unfinished issues—unresolved tensions, incomplete conversations with people. Even if these issues aren’t front-of-mind for you, they’re going to be at least partially responsible for sapping your energy.
- You don’t have a “light at the end of the tunnel”—you’re not anticipating some fulfilling experience around the corner, such as an exciting holiday, a fun celebration or some other highly satisfying event.
- As you’ve “matured”, your inclination to judge others has increased. You haven’t yet habituated an “I’m OK, you’re OK” state of mind.
- Your diet includes too much fat, too many unhealthy carbohydrates and insufficient protein. This, or another physical problem, is causing your physiological state to drain your psychological state.
- You’re not moving your body enough. You need to move so you sweat for at least 20-minutes at least three times a week.
- Your frustrations are niggling away at you. You’re being a victim—rather than assertively and influentially dealing with what needs to be dealt with.
- You’ve lost your inquisitiveness. Perhaps you’ve been doing the same job for too long—you’ve seen it all before and you’ve become a touch cynical.
Which of these energy drainers could be true for you? And what other energy drainers that aren’t on this list could be true for you?
Vince Lombardi told the American football team he coached: “If you are not fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.”
That’s a little harsh for a leader in an organisation—however Vince’s train of thought has validity, I think.
Your Leadership Call to Action
It’s one of your responsibilities as a leader to be highly alert to your vitality and enthusiasm—because it is contagious. You will be having an impact on your team’s vitality.
If your vitality isn’t great, here’s your opportunity to create an upsurge in your team’s vitality—and therefore in its productivity!
What do you need to do to lift your vitality?
- Attend to the amount of overwhelm you’re experiencing—either by making some mental, organisational or practical shifts? Some people also need to de-clutter their workspace—because clutter impacts both your energy and your efficiency.
- Confront the issues or relationships that are currently unfinished so you can operate more cleanly.
- Plan an adventure or some other highly satisfying event that’ll give you more to look forward to with excited anticipation.
- Here and now, make a decision to habituate an “I’m OK, you’re OK” stance. (It is just a decision you know.)
- Get your diet sorted and commit to some exercise.There are many people that want you to live happily to a ripe-old-age
.
.- Assertively deal with what you need to deal with. Refuse to let frustrations niggle away at you. Step up and get them handled.
- You’ll also experience a welcome edge when you…
Bring your attention into the present moment. Simply be in the now, perhaps focusing on your breathing, then…
- Put your focus on appreciating whatever you can find to appreciate in your life—people, things and situations
Or there might be another vital stance or action that’s important and consequential for your vitality. You’ll know if that’s so.
You can depend on an executive, leader or team-coaching program to help you, a leader in your team or your entire team, to step-up on the vitality front. We’d determine specifically what’s currently energy sapping—and then devise and habituate remedies that’ll have a heartening, positive impact on leadership and teamwork.
Just email me if you want to investigate the possibilities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carolyn Stevens has worked with leaders for more than 25-years—hundreds of them.
She’s supported leader after leader (including those who previously struggled to confront the difficult, let alone persuasively deal with the it) flourish—and become confident, courageous and impressively influential.
Carolyn is authentic and results-oriented. She draws on an eclectic array of approaches, tools and techniques to suit the situation.
