A Curious Thing About Energy

A Critical Doer understands following

A Critical Doer controls what is theirs to control

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed (Law of Conservation of Energy)

 Many times an organization’s health is judged by the amount of energy seen in people as they go about their daily business.  Most times a lack of energy in an organization is attributed to a leader and results in a firing.

But here’s a curious thing about energy…science tells us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.  In some ways we’re talking about different kinds of energy comparing what occurs in the physical world with organizational energy…but in some ways we’re not.

The critical thinking question is…can a leader really create energy in an organization, or can a leader only affect unlocking energy that already exists?  My position is that since energy is neither created nor destroyed and we’re all born the same, energy is not the creation of one person manifested in another…it’s there all along.

If that’s the case, who then is accountable when it isn’t shown in the way you attack work and live life?

Accountability stings but such is the life of a Critical Doer where our creed states that the only future we have is the one we’re willing to make for ourselves…which means avoiding a belief that our own energy level can be outsourced.  Too many people these days have let cynicism and entitlement metastasize to their willpower with a resulting tradeoff of what can be controlled for an illusion of what others should fix for them.

Beyond a doubt, leaders affect the working environment of organizations and it impacts the output…I’m not giving a free pass to ineffective or toxic leaders.  I am also not giving a free pass to a decision for letting others decide for us whether or not we perform to the best of our ability under the circumstances we’re experiencing.  That’s the difference between an average achiever and the level of fulfillment that comes with being a Critical Doer.

Your challenge is to reflect for a moment where you’ve let others affect your decision to exhibit energy and top performance.  Good followership does not involve letting others drive a decision to be a low energy or marginal performer; the logic is just as wrong as letting the actions of others legitimize your choices rather than the merits of right and wrong standing alone.  Good followership involves a choice to be your best for your organization and yourself; leaders come and go but those choices are enduring so choose wisely.  It’s what a Critical Doer would…do!

 

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Updated: October 19, 2016 — 1:43 pm