One of the most effective ways of looking at influence in the context of leadership is understanding how your levels of energy and engagement are affected. In this article, we explore the definitions of energy and engagement (within the framework of my iPEC training), their integration, and their application in the context of influence.
Energy: In the iPEC coaching model, "energy" refers to the unique blend of thoughts, emotions, and actions that greatly influence the overall experience and impact leaders have on others. By cultivating self-awareness and managing their own energy, leaders can create a ripple effect within their teams and their organizations. When leaders radiate enthusiasm, optimism, and resilience, they elevate the collective energy of their teams, fostering an environment conducive to innovation, collaboration, and growth.
Engagement: Engagement, for our purposes, refers to the level of buy-in amongst leaders and their team members. In other words, how enthusiastic a leader's team is to complete the tasks in front of them. Influential leaders understand the importance of this by creating a culture of engagement, where team members feel valued, supported, and purposeful in their work. Leaders can foster a culture of engagement by actively listening to their employees, providing meaningful feedback, recognizing individual contributions, and cultivating a sense of purpose and belonging amongst their team members. Engaged team members are more likely to go above and beyond, demonstrate loyalty, and be receptive to the leader's influence.
Integration of Energy and Engagement: The level of someone's energy plus their level of engagement (aka buy-in) equals what we call "Engaged Energy". For example, you may have an employee with moderately high energy on any given day, but they have not yet bought-in to the purpose of the task(s) they have. This causes them to have limited enthusiasm for the work they do and likely will have their energy split between the task(s) at hand and elsewhere. On the flip side, an employee may be bought into what they're doing and why they're doing it, but their energy is blocked. Maybe they're stuck on something that happened at home, or a less-than-ideal interaction with a colleague; whatever the block might be, it is ultimately getting in the way of having a high total level of engaged energy for their task(s).
How This Applies to Influence: When a leader can assess their team members' Engaged Energy, they put themselves in a better position to get the most out of their team. Leaders can make adjustments to their messaging and communication strategy by understanding their team's energy and engagement levels. Leaders thus have a greater degree of influence on their team in a more positive headspace with a strong sense of enthusiasm for the work at hand.
Influencing others in a leadership role is a dynamic process that can be enhanced through the framework of energy and engagement By understanding and managing personal energy and creating an environment of engagement, leaders can unleash their influence potential.
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