Energy & High Performance Routines

Welcome to the second edition of the Breakthrough Leadership Newsletter series. In this instalment, I will continue to explore a range of insights, tools, and techniques designed to improve your performance and well-being as a leader in various domains such as business, sport, or education. My aim is to equip you with valuable resources that can transform your leadership approach and empower your teams.

This edition focuses on two key concepts: "Energy" and "Routines" that have the potential to transform your leadership journey.

(1) Understanding the Impact of Energy on Your Leadership Performance

Have you ever considered how your energy levels impact your ability to lead effectively? Your energy plays a vital role in how you "show up" and the impact you make as a leader. Take a moment to reflect on a time when you were at your "absolute best":

💡 How did you perform during that time?

💡 What were your mental, emotional, and physical states?

💡 What factors contributed to your exceptional performance?

💡 How would you describe your energy level at that time?

Now, contrast that with a time when you "underperformed" or felt far from your best. Notice the stark difference in your energy levels and the subsequent impact on your performance. These reflections provide valuable insights into your energy dynamics and can serve as a starting point for understanding and optimizing your energy levels.

When we operate at our best, we tap into our optimal mental, physical, and emotional energy. We minimise or eliminate distractions that drain our energy reserves. We prioritize self-care and recharge our batteries. With focused intentions and adequate preparation, we may even experience the coveted state of "flow," where creativity and performance reach their peak. Additionally, our resilience and ability to navigate challenges are heightened when we are aligned with our purpose and direction in life.

On the other hand, when we underperform, we fail to access our full energy potential. Distractions and overwhelming demands hinder our performance. Imagine the impact lack of sleep has on your energy reserves. Similarly, spreading yourself thin across multiple activities dilutes your focus and depletes your energy for the task at hand.

In essence, your performance can be summarized as:

Performance = Potential - Interference

This simple formula helps us understand the factors that influence our performance and provides a framework for optimizing our energy levels. To operate at your energetic best and unlock your full potential, focus on growing your potential and minimizing distractions.

(2) Exploring the 7 levels of Energy

As leaders, awareness, understanding, and knowledge of energy levels are crucial to our success. That's why I’d like to introduce you to the concept of the 7 Levels of Energy identified by IPEC which impact our experiences and outcomes. The lowest two levels are associated with stress, pressure, and distractions, while the higher levels represent power, effectiveness, and happiness.

Exploring these levels can help you gain insight into your “energetic profile” and how it shapes your approach to life. Let's briefly explore these levels:

⚡Level 1: Individuals may feel lost, stuck, worried, or fearful. Victim mentality and apathetic energy dominate.

⚡Level 2: Combative energy prevails, leading to conflict and anger.

⚡Level 3: Cooperative energy is employed to tolerate situations, often leading to coping mechanisms and rationalisation.

⚡Level 4: Compassion becomes the driving force, with a strong focus on the well-being of others.

⚡Level 5: Individuals accept situations and seek win-win outcomes with a solution-focused mindset.

⚡Level 6: Synthesis and joy take center stage, and intuition guides actions. A sense of oneness and connection is experienced.

⚡Level 7: Absolute passion, non-judgment, and boundless creativity characterize this level.

The state of flow and peak performance are achieved.

Understanding your energetic profile and stress reaction, and the mix of energy levels that show up for you, can shed light on how you navigate various situations in life and lead your teams or organisation.

The 7 levels of Energy - What's your Energetic Make-Up?

(3) Major influencers of Energy

Moreover, I’d like to highlight six major influencers of energy, which directly impact the amounts of energy we are able to access. By becoming aware of and making conscious choices around these influencers, you can enhance your energy levels and minimize distractions.

Understanding their influence on your energy is a powerful tool for personal growth and leadership development. Consider the following influencers:

⚡Spirit: Aligning your purpose, values, beliefs, and goals can help you access higher levels of spiritual energy.

⚡Mental: Focusing, maintaining clarity, avoiding distractions, and cultivating concentration contribute to higher levels of mental energy.

⚡Emotional: Recognizing, expressing, and managing emotions, as well as intentionally accessing positive emotions, boost emotional energy.

⚡Physical: Prioritizing physical well-being through factors such as health, fitness, nutrition, and sleep improves energy levels.

⚡Social: The people and connections in your life provide energy. A supportive network positively impacts your energy, while negative influences deplete it.

⚡Environmental: The setting and conditions in which you work affect your stress and energy levels, as well as your motivation to perform.

Take a moment to reflect on these influencers and their impact on your energy levels.

(4) Systems and Routines for High Performance

In addition to understanding energy influencers, implementing routines and systems can support you in performing at your best with sustained energy levels. Consider the following questions:

💡 How do you prepare yourself to perform at your best?

💡 What strategies do you employ to concentrate and deliver effectively?

💡 How do you transition into a recovery and reflection phase?

💡 How do you take intentional breaks to regain energy and perspective?

Answering these questions will help you identify the routines and systems that work best for you. Whether it's setting clear intentions, focusing your efforts, reflecting on achievements, or prioritizing recovery, integrating these techniques into your daily life can significantly enhance your performance.

4 Phases of High-Performance Routines

To assist you further, I have provided a table outlining some simple techniques for each stage to help you Prepare, Perform, Warm-down and Recover. Take a moment to review the table and identify which techniques resonate with you or have the most significant impact on your performance.

Techniques to support build your own high performance routine.

(5) The Benefits of Embracing Breakthrough Leadership

Understanding your energy dynamics, utilizing high-performance routines, and optimizing your energy influencers can profoundly transform your leadership style and interactions with others. By building your awareness and taking positive action, you can:

🎯 Engage and communicate more effectively.

🎯 Inspire, motivate, and build loyalty among your teams.

🎯 Make better choices and decisions.

🎯 Improve your well-being and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

🎯 Reduce stress and avoid procrastination.

🎯 Enhance productivity and effectiveness.

🎯 Foster a high-performance culture within your organization.

As we progress on this Breakthrough Leadership journey, I encourage you to explore the techniques presented in this newsletter and start implementing those that resonate with you. Stay tuned for our next edition, where we will delve into strategies for cultivating further high performance leadership disciplines.

Wishing you continued success on your leadership path.

(6) If you would like to learn more about:

• Your own Energetic profile and Stress Reaction and how you show up please get in touch. You can book at call here: https://calendly.com/headsupandfreer . I’m a Master Practitioner in the “Energy Leadership Index” Assessment and profile leaders as part of my leadership programmes and coaching.

• Breakthrough Leadership Newsletter – Every 2 weeks I publish this on LinkedIN. Subscribe here on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7067156986093527040