As someone who has worked with competency models and psychometric assessment tools for over two decades, I’ve discovered some fascinating insights about the coexistence of certain traits.
Decreased productivity, feeling overburdened, burnout, disengagement …. are challenges that not only affect an individual but have a ripple effect on the entire team, organization.
What if I tell you that you can tackle all of those, and bring out real leadership potential, by addressing two root issues?
Recently, we developed a framework that maps together two most powerful traits — The combination of energy and optimism in leaders. This proves to have a far more deeper impact on the teams than anything else.
Here are some intriguing findings from our research, with some actionable tips for you.
Why Energy and Optimism Matter
To get a job done, every person needs both energy (time, resource, space) and optimism (hope, collective vision). We discovered that lack of either one can have detrimental effects on your organization as a whole.
For example,
When energy is low, people make the most non-virtuous choices.
This is very similar to us ordering out for french fries when we are feeling energy low and exhausted. Leaders and team members make impulsive decisions that they might end up regretting later.
When optimism is low, people feel drained.
In fact, the group that needs the most attention is the High Energy-Low Optimism combination. Leaders in this category can exhaust their teams, leaving them feeling numb and fatigued.
Your team might consist of people within different ranges.
The Invincible-You Energy-Optimism Matrix
And, there is a different way to inspire people within each range, to help them express their true & infinite potential.
Most people operate in a range - which is to say that people are rarely in the same box continuously and may operate in some form of spectra. However, if one looks at patterns - then we may be able to map people for how they behave, most of the time.
This is what we set to explore in the article.
Let us dive in.
High Energy - Low Optimism
(* the group to watch out for more intensely)
Their basic belief:
“The future seems uncertain and scary and I need to do everything I can to keep from drowning.”
Questions to identify them:
- Are they getting a lot of work done, but often seem stressed or anxious?
- Do they keep the team busy with numerous tasks?
- Do they ensure deliverables are completed, but create excessive reviews and meetings?
- Do team members often feel exhausted, tentative, or nervous around them?
- Do they struggle to delegate, wanting to be involved in everything?
How you can inspire them:
- Coaching: Help them see their impact on themselves and the team.
- Periodic feedback: Keep them connected to how their team is feeling.
- Peer coaching: Help them see how others resolve similar challenges and dilemmas.
By addressing these areas, leaders with high energy but low optimism can transform their approach, and foster a more balanced and effective team environment.
High Energy - High Optimism
Their basic belief:
“The future is bright and I have the energy to make the most of it.”
Questions to identify them:
- Are they a source of energy for the team and peers?
- Do they constantly find ways to solve problems?
- Do team members love them despite the fact that they expect a lot from the team?
- Do they exhibit a significant can-do attitude?
- Do they show high learning agility and keep coming up with ideas to get around obstacles?
How you can keep them inspired:
- Direction and Empowerment: Give them clear goals and let them soar.
- Insightful Feed-Forward: Strengthen their capabilities with constructive feedback.
- Empowerment for Goals: Set ambitious goals and support their journey to achieve them.
- Coaching for risks and avoiding burnout: Coach them to help them see risks that they may not consider as well as manage their energy in a consistent manner, without feeling burnt out, in their constant pursuit of the next big thing
Harnessing the potential of High Energy-High Optimism leaders can significantly drive team performance and morale, making the work environment much more innovative and dynamic.
Low Energy - Low Optimism
Their basic belief:
“The future is not great anyways, too many things are out of my control and I can only do so much.”
Questions to identify them:
- Are they a source of exhaustion for the team and peers?
- Do they need constant follow-up and direction?
- Do they de-energize others with their complaints?
- Do they not leave the company, but keep talking about how things outside the company are better?
How you can inspire them:
- Oversight and Feedback: Provide continuous oversight and constructive feedback.
- Coaching: If possible, coach them to examine and shift their worldview.
- Honest Feedback: Discuss their future in the company candidly.
By providing the right support and addressing underlying issues, Low Energy-Low Optimism individuals can improve their outlook and contribution to the team.
Low Energy - High Optimism
Their basic belief:
“The future is bright and I will be fine. However I can only do so much every day”
Questions to identify them:
- Are they calm, steady, and reliable?
- Do they get work done but struggle with stretch goals?
- Are they great assets in steady-state situations?
- Are they not significantly motivated by promotions or growth opportunities?
- Do they often go unnoticed but are valuable team members?
How you can inspire them:
- Break Down Goals: Simplify large goals into smaller, manageable tasks.
- Collaboration: Pair them with others to leverage their strengths.
- Empowerment: Give clear direction, strengthen their capabilities with insightful feed-forward.
By recognizing and nurturing Low Energy-High Optimism team members, organizations can ensure these steady and reliable individuals continue to thrive and contribute effectively.
How best to use this framework
Everyone is coachable, however only to an extent. Before engaging with interventions and/or coaching, assess if all participants of the process are truly willing to shift.
If you are already assessing your team members / leaders on a competency framework, do not miss to use the E-O framework as an additional layer of assessment. This will help you make the best possible choices as well as manage your talent better.
By now, you might have now roughly identified a couple of team members within each range. Take a moment to also identify which range describes you the best. Transformations have the greatest impact when inspired and experienced.
Wishing you invincibility,
Shweta.
The article is just the starting point. If you're exploring how to apply these insights inside your organization, our team can help you translate the ideas into measurable leadership and culture outcomes.
