The Power Of You

“Most people wait for something outside of them to change how they feel inside.” — Joe Dispenza.As we come close to the end of the year - and the end of a 2nd year of disruption due to the pandemic, I felt that it was important to talk about our personal energy and power. It was a tough year for many people - a weariness set in, and it became harder to keep a positive attitude as the year rolled on. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a reset as we head into 2022.Power has such negative connotations in today’s view of modern leadership, however I wanted to talk about this today as I feel that we all have the power to make a massive difference to our own lives and the lives of our colleagues and team members. I’m not talking about the traditional meaning of powerful leadership - the ego-centric view of power. This is all about the personal power and energy that you can bring to the table. This doesn’t just apply to those with the title or role of a leader - we can all be “everyday leaders” for our organizations. I’ve just come back from a retreat where I had the opportunity to take a week out from my “business as usual” schedule, step back from all the roles I play (Mom, wife, team member, team leader, CEO, consultant, advisor, trainer, coach…) and really think about me, my place in the world, the story I tell myself and what I have the power to change. I wish there was an easy way to measure personal energy - I feel like the week supercharged my personal energy and I’ve come back renewed and ready to wrap up this year, and prepare for the next.I wanted to pass some of my renewed energy along to you, to help you take a pause from your busy schedule to reflect on where you are, what story you are telling yourself and what you might need to reset for 2022.Before we start, close your eyes, take a breath and pause for a moment. On a scale of 0 - 10, how would you rate your energy level right now? Jot down the first number that comes into your mind. (It’s ok if it's a minus number....)Why is energy important?Have you ever been at a meeting or on a video meeting where the energy just tanks? You don’t have to be in the room to feel it - it is just as palpable on a zoom call. A short comment with some negative energy attached from one attendee can bring down the tone of the entire “room”.Fortunately, the opposite works as well. You can boost the energy in any meeting by bringing elevated energy to the table - particularly if you are leading the meeting. Better still, you can boost your own energy quickly with a simple reset. When you elevate your energy, it raises the energy of everyone around you. We exist in a collective field of energy and we either feed energy into it, or take from it. Boost your own energy so you can contribute generously to the collective field. Your team will thank you for it -- even if they don’t know it!Supercharge your energySo exactly how do you supercharge your own energy and transform your team’s energy?First, set your intention: 

• How do you want to be perceived as a leader?
• How do you want to make people “feel”?
• Can you be the leader that you would like to have?
• Is there someone that you would like to emulate? 

Then, take a moment to elevate your own energy:

• Find an inspiring song and play a few minutes (lean in and dance for an extra energy boost!)
• Connect to your inner why, your organization’s mission, or simply your immediate purpose.
• Channel your own inner power - empower yourself to make a difference.

Think about the outcomes you want to achieve:

• What does success look like?
• What outcomes do you hope to achieve?
• How will you feel when you are successful?
• How will everyone else feel?

Then show up as a beacon of light and positive energy:

• Don’t just show up, bring your “A” game energy with you
• Take time to take the pulse of the room 
• Set the tone for your gathering - set context, acknowledge any constraints or emotions that team members may be feeling
• Calmly and thoughtfully guide the discussion
• Let go of what you cannot change
• Empower yourself to change what you can
• Help everyone to leave the meeting with a higher energy level than they brought to the meeting. 

Keeping your tank fullMake sure you take time to recharge your energy - don’t give it all away. You cannot be a beacon of energy and light for your team if your energy tank is depleted. Build time into your schedule to recharge in the morning, during the day and at the end of the day before you “leave” work. Earlier this year, I realized that I was giving all my energy away at work, and I wasn’t saving enough for myself or my family. Don’t do that ;-)Start to become aware of what boosts your energy, and what depletes it. What energy vampires do you need to eliminate from your life?As I’ve worked through this journey myself, I noticed that drama, hype and mass-hysteria from social media, and TV or radio drains my energy. I have dramatically reduced the time I spend on social media channels. Instead, I choose to selectively read the news so I don’t have to take in someone else’s negative energy. I can stay informed without the unnecessary hype and drama.  I’m learning how to tune into my inner awareness and voice (I ignore the inner critic and listen to the inner coach). Closer to home, if there are certain people that show up with that victim mindset, ready to either overtly or passively assign blame, criticism or just whine, I try to tune it out. I use Brené Brown’s BRAVING principle “Assume Good Intent” to avoid immediately reacting, and to give myself time to respond calmly.Take a moment to think about:

• What story are you telling yourself?
• Is that story serving you?
• Is it serving your team?
• What boosts your energy?
• What depletes it?
• What triggers you?

Tuning in and boosting your own personal power“The combination of your thoughts and feelings is your state of being. Change your state of being... and change your reality.” — Joe Dispenza.Pencil time in your calendar to reflect on what you have learned and how you have grown this year. Make a plan to address your trigger points and boost your energy so you can start 2022 renewed and refreshed, and ready to shine your bright energy for the world to see.When you have done this, take a pause and measure your energy again. In fact, add a 1:1 meeting with yourself daily or twice daily (start and end of day) to check your energy meter. If it's low, keep your energy boosters handy. Here is my new favourite 3 minute booster. Let me know - how will you boost your energy today? How does that new elevated energy feel? How did it shift your perspective? How has it changed your team’s perspective?Share your energy boosters below, and let me know how it feels and the outcomes you’ve achieved.To read more about other ways to put empathy into action, check out my recent blog on the topic.