We have written about different energy levels and Energy Leadership a lot in the last few months. But a lot of you still have questions about what Energy Leadership is and what the Energy Leadership Index is and how it can benefit you.
What is Energy Leadership?
Whether we accept it or not, we are all leaders. Some of us are leaders of billion dollar companies. Some of us are leaders of small, entrepreneurial businesses. Some of us are leaders in a department or team at work. Some of us are leaders in the community, or at home, or in your faith. And even if you don’t consider yourself a leader in any of those categories, you are most certainly a leader in the most important category of all: yourself.
You are definitely the leader of you…and you have a lot of important decisions to make. In fact, that is an important distinction to make. For the purposes of this discussion on leadership (or really any discussion on leadership), leadership = decision making. How you make decisions and choices essentially defines you as a leader.
Energy Leadership refers to your ability to lead with your energy. That is, harnessing your energy at different stages to make decisions that benefit you and those around you.
What are the 7 Levels of Energy?
The Energy Leadership Index is based on 7 Levels of Energy. Bruce Schneider, founder of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching designed this model to describe how different energy can show up in our lives. Essentially, the 7 Levels focus on the Core Thought/Emotion/Action model. Let’s review the 7 Levels here. Below them is also the Energetic Self-Perception Chart.
To break the levels down into easy to understand language, let’s think of them in terms of winning and losing.
Level 1: I lose. Level 1 is victim energy -- think of Eeyore's "woe is me" attitude.
Level 2: You lose. This level is all about blame and anger. If something is wrong in my life, it's your fault.
Level 3: I win. This is the first level with more anabolic (constructive) than catabolic (destructive) energy. You take responsibility for your actions and you make stuff happen.
Level 4: You win. This is the quintessential "mom" level -- you want the best for others, so you will do whatever it takes to help them achieve.
Level 5: We both win. This level is all about opportunity -- no matter what the situation, you can find the opportunity in it and work to find the win-win for everyone.
Level 6: We always win. This level is all about the experience. It doesn't matter if it is "good" or "bad," the experience is worth the ride.
Level 7: Winning and losing are illusions. This is the highest level of consciousness, when you are connected directly to your higher power and are experiencing absolute joy.
What is the Energy Leadership Index?
The Energy Leadership Index (ELI) is an assessment that highlights how you perceive people, situations, and the world around you. The assessment measures 3 things:
- Your current leadership potential (your ability to inspire yourself and others into action)
- Your current level of engagement (how emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically engaged you are with what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with)
- You current level of consciousness (your awareness of who you truly are vs. who you think you are or who/what you act like)
This assessment differs from other assessments in that it is an attitudinal assessment. Other assessments out there (e.g. Myers Briggs Type Indicator, D.I.S.C., etc.) are personality-based assessments. They are very useful at helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses so that you can best operate within those definitions to be effective. The ELI assessment is unique in that it is a snapshot of where you are today, how you view the world, and where you are spending most of your energy each day. The reason that this is so important is because you can change, or shift, your energy at any given time. Rather than being labeled or defined, this tool allows you to make informed choices about how to improve the way you perceive the world.
How is this Assessment Applicable to Me?
The ELI assessment is useful in a variety of scenarios, ranging from business to education to personal to non-profit to faith-based organizations.
Business: The ELI is useful to business leaders that want to shift their own awareness to have greater impact in the organization. The ELI is also useful with employees, particularly if you are trying to define or change the company/department culture.
Education: The ELI can assist education leaders and administrators that are looking to gain insight into how they can best use their energy in a challenging environment. The ELI can also be used with teachers that wan to bring higher levels of energy into the classroom, thereby having a significant impact on children.
Personal: The ELI can help you first understand with more clarity how you see the world around you and how you can use your energy to achieve more and be fulfilled.
Non-Profit: The ELI is extremely useful in shifting decision making for non-profit leaders that have limited resources.
Faith-Based: The ELI and the 7 Levels of Energy are very aligned with many of the teachings of traditional religions and can be used in conjunction with other spiritual constructs.
What are the next steps?
If you have questions about the Energy Leadership Index assessment, or think it might be useful for you or your organization, please contact Matt or Jaime for more information. We would love to discuss your needs and how this assessment might be the critical piece you need to make the shift you or your organization needs.
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