Episode #22 – Energy Leadership: 6 Success Influencers You Need To Know

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[00:00:00] INTRODUCTION

[00:00:00] Taty Fittipaldi: What doesn’t affect your energy in one situation may detract from it in another. Anytime you were not performing to the best of your ability, something is blocking your energy. And, most likely, a factor is holding you back. The same is valid for when you are top performing, certain factors are lifting you up.

[00:00:23] Taty Fittipaldi: In today’s episode, we will talk about the main six factors that can hold you back or pump you up for optimal leadership performance and executive presence. This episode will expand some concepts of the energy leadership theory that we brought to you in episode 21, and help you fine tune your strategies even further, for higher executive and leadership presence.

[00:00:47] NARRATOR’S INTRODUCTION: Hello and welcome to the Leadership Nest Podcast. The podcast that nests stories, knowledge, and science to soar the leadership in you. [00:01:00] I’m your host, Taty Fittipaldi. As always, our podcast will be divided into three phases. A story, a lesson, and its application. This way, you can have structure and information while also having some fun.

[00:01:17] NARRATOR’S INTRODUCTION: This program is brought to you by Coaching Expatriates.

[00:01:21] TODAY’S STORY

[00:01:21] TODAY’S STORY: Today’s story.

[00:01:30] Taty Fittipaldi: Once in a distant mountain village in ancient China, there lived a wise old man. The village was surrounded by two massive mountains, which caused great inconvenience to the villagers. They were tired of having to take a long treacherous detours just to get to the other side.

[00:01:53] Taty Fittipaldi: One day, the wise old man decided that something had to be done. He believed that [00:02:00] with enough determination and persistence, even the most colossal obstacles could be overcome.

[00:02:06] Taty Fittipaldi: He gathered his family and declared: we shall remove these mountains.

[00:02:12] Taty Fittipaldi: His family, however, thought he had gone mad. They tried to reason with him, explaining that it was impossible for an old man and his family to move mountains. But the wise old man was resolute. And replied: if I cannot finish it, then my children will. And if they cannot, then my grandchildren will continue. And so on. Until the mountains are gone!

[00:02:41] Taty Fittipaldi: Determined, they began to dig. Carrying away soil and rocks day after day. The villagers scoffed at them ridiculing their efforts! Yet, the wise old man and his family remain undeterred. Their determination, unwavering.

[00:02:59] Taty Fittipaldi: [00:03:00] News of their tenacity reached the heavenly emperor, who was touched by their story. He summoned the God of Mountains, and ordered him to move the mountains aside, to reward the old man’s dedication.

[00:03:17] Taty Fittipaldi: From that day forward, the mountains no longer obstructed the village. Thanks to the unwavering determination of the foolish old man.

[00:03:27] Taty Fittipaldi: His story became a timeless legend, teaching generations the lesson that with persistence and determination, even the most formidable obstacles can be overcome.

[00:03:39] Taty Fittipaldi: This story is based on the Chinese folk tale called, “The foolish old man removes the mountains.” It’s a well-known fable from the Chinese mythology about the virtues of persistence and willpower. The tale first appeared in the book five of the Liezi, a Daoist [00:04:00] text of the fourth century BC, and was retold in the Garden Of Stories, by the Confucian scholar Liu Xiang, in the first century, BC.

[00:04:10] TODAY’S LESSON

[00:04:10] TODAY’S LESSON: Today’s lesson.

[00:04:20] Taty Fittipaldi: The reason why I selected this story today, is to talk about what we perceive around us as influencing our successes or failures. These factors of influence can be assets to our success or obstacles. In this tale, the old man saw the mountains as the obstacle, and therefore decided to remove them. In a previous century, during the time of war, those same mountains were an asset because enemies were never capable of conquering that village.

[00:04:53] Taty Fittipaldi: This is an example of how an asset or an obstacle from the same environmental factor, the [00:05:00] mountains, can create different ways to think, feel, and react.

[00:05:05] Taty Fittipaldi: In a previous episode, we talked about the energy leadership and how the seven different attitudes reflect in the way we think, feel, and react. On this episode, we will take another step towards understanding how to improve our executive presence and the way we show up. By understanding what are some of the factors that influence how we choose any of these seven different ways to think, feel, and react.

[00:05:33] Taty Fittipaldi: Core energy influencers are an expansion of the energy leadership theory, that pinpoints six different factors that can affect the way we think, feel, and react. Therefore, impacting how we show up in life and work. The theories and respective trademarks are wholly owned by the Institute of professional excellence in coaching. IPEC.

[00:05:58] Taty Fittipaldi: The six [00:06:00] core influencers are the spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, social, and environmental factors that can work for you. And to any degree that they do not, they will detract from your leadership performance.

[00:06:18] Taty Fittipaldi: The factors influencing performance vary from person to person and sometimes from situation to situation. When you feel stress and, or lack of engagement, in other words, when you’re choosing not to do something, or are not motivated to do it, your energy is drained and your potential for high-performance is decreased.

[00:06:42] Taty Fittipaldi: When I worked in finance, I usually had to do many activities that involved deep analysis that required great concentration and focus, while I was thinking and problem solving with numbers. By nature, I have a high sensitivity to noise pollution, [00:07:00] and this is an environmental factor that severely detracts from my performance. Not only that, the mere fact of being exposed to places with a lot of noise, chatter and cacophonies make me crazy.

[00:07:15] Taty Fittipaldi: When it got to a point in my career where I got my own office, that solved many problems for me. But since the only constant in life is change, things of course changed again. At some point, most big global corporations in the world followed the trend of open offices, which, once again, brought me the environmental factor of noise as a performance detractor.

[00:07:42] Taty Fittipaldi: In the same way that a factor can work against you, it can work in your favor. Like the example with the mountains. Your job is to learn what these six factors are, how they work and how they are impacting you at all times.

[00:07:59] Taty Fittipaldi: [00:08:00] Why? Because then you can make adjustments to avoid, reduce or eliminate them. And amp your performance, and the way you show up as a professional.

[00:08:12] Taty Fittipaldi: Let’s see what these Six factors are and how they work. Let’s start with the easier ones and move our way up.

[00:08:20] Taty Fittipaldi: Let’s dive into the world of the environmental influencer, the first influencer. This factor is what affects how you feel about tackling a task based on your surroundings. When your environment supports and aligns with your needs and preferences, it can give you a boost of energy and confidence. Conversely, environmental influencers can be a real buzzkill when you find yourself in a situation that hinders your ability to perform at your best or in your usual way.

[00:08:54] Taty Fittipaldi: Imagine this. You are all set for a crucial presentation to the board,[00:09:00] with great audio and visual materials, as your main support. And just as you’re about to start, the power goes out in the building. Talk about a major energy drain.

[00:09:12] Taty Fittipaldi: All right, now, let’s talk about the second influencer, the physical influencer. These are the vibes your body gives you and how well you treat yourself to generate the physical energy you need for any task. It’s all about tuning into what your body is saying, and taking good care of it. Think healthy eating, regular workouts, and preventive care to build up that physical power.

[00:09:39] Taty Fittipaldi: But there’s a flip side. Physical influencers can throw you off your game when your body isn’t in its groove. Things like sleep deprivation, junk food binges, caring too much or too little weight, sickness, or injuries can really drain your energy.[00:10:00] And of course, expecting your body to perform like a superstar, when it’s not in the peak condition, say with an awful migraine, it’s like trying to run a marathon without ever having run a mile. That’s a recipe for energy nosedive.

[00:10:17] Taty Fittipaldi: Make sense?

[00:10:18] Taty Fittipaldi: Now let’s get into the nitty gritty of the third influencer, the emotional influencer. This one is all about how well you are vibing with what you are doing, or how pumped up and passionate you are about it. And whether you’ve got the emotional chops to choose your responses, rather than just reacting to any situation that comes your way.

[00:10:44] Taty Fittipaldi: But be aware because emotional influencers can also be a real buzzkill when you feel like your needs, desires, or expectations are going unmet. It’s like hitting a wall. When you encounter a situation that leaves you scratching your [00:11:00] head, or a feeling lost, or when you’re not sure how to handle those emotions that come at you like a tidal wave. Like anger or deep frustration.

[00:11:12] Taty Fittipaldi: The fourth influencer is called the social influencer. And it’s all about how people affect you, your leadership, and your work. It’s about the people you are surrounded by at work, and type of interactions you have, and whether you feel like you’ve got the support you need in your role. It’s like finding our tribe, being around folks who share your passion.

[00:11:38] Taty Fittipaldi: But watch out, because the social influencers can be a major mood changer when the social scene isn’t your jam, or when you’re hit by someone else’s negativity. Pictured this. You are all set for a laid back game of squash, with your buddies, but suddenly you’re thrown [00:12:00] into a cutthroat tournament with strangers. Yeah, that can zap your energy. And even if you are super stoked about something, having a bunch of naysayers around can put a real damper on your enthusiasm and energy levels.

[00:12:18] Taty Fittipaldi: The fifth influencer is called the mental influencer. This is about how well you are able to stay laser focused on what you were doing, how much clarity you have about what you are doing, how engaging and appropriately challenging the task is, and whether you are steering clear of distractions.

[00:12:41] Taty Fittipaldi: But be aware because mental influencers can also drain your energy when you’re juggling a hundred things at once, spreading yourself too thin, or facing conflicting demands. Even distraction can throw a wrench in your mental game. And let’s not [00:13:00] forget that feeling of either being utterly bored, or being way out of your depth in a task. Both of these can be a major energy zapper.

[00:13:10] Taty Fittipaldi: Now let’s talk about the last influencer, the spiritual influencer.

[00:13:15] Taty Fittipaldi: No, no. This isn’t about organized religion or rituals. It’s all about your inner compass, your purpose, beliefs, values, gifts, desires, and goals. And how they align with what you are doing and how you are doing it.

[00:13:36] Taty Fittipaldi: But there’s a catch: the spiritual influencer can seriously mess with your mojo, when what you are up to starts raising questions or butting heads with your core values, purpose, goals, or beliefs. It’s like a clash of your inner world with the external one. [00:14:00] And that can be a major energy drainer.

[00:14:03] Taty Fittipaldi: Now that you know about these six influencers, I want you to start thinking about which one of these six impacts you the most, favorably or unfavorably, so we can deep dive into the next section on how to apply all this.

[00:14:22] NARRATOR’S NOTE: You’re listening to The Leadership Nest, the podcast that nests stories, knowledge, and science to soar the leadership in you! With your host Taty Fittipaldi.

[00:14:38] TODAY’S TIPS TO APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED

[00:14:38] Today’s tips to apply what you learned.

[00:14:48] Taty Fittipaldi: Imagine the situation, and you’ll need the lesson on our last episode, episode 21, to sort of follow. You are on a level five energy leadership. You [00:15:00] are super hyped about the client and see opportunities everywhere. You are super high in confidence. Super-stoked. And then while you were waiting at the reception for the meeting, a guy sitting next to you says something like: meeting with a CEO? Man you are losing our time. That guy is nasty and he’ll chew you up for breakfast.

[00:15:25] Taty Fittipaldi: All of the sudden, your confidence drops. You become wary. And you move from a five. To a…. Two. Or three. And because of what? A social influencer.

[00:15:39] Taty Fittipaldi: So basically the influencers make you slide into the seven energy levels and this slide will depend on whether the influencer is your asset or your obstacle. And that’s why in this section, I want to give you a step-by-step plan with some pointers, for a fully harnessing the power of these [00:16:00] six influencers.

[00:16:01] Taty Fittipaldi: Step one, identify your positive influencers. Take a moment to reflect on which of these six influencers work in your favor. These are the ones that boost your energy and help you thrive. Maybe you are at your best in a well-organized workspace. Environmental. Or you feel unstoppable when you’re physically fit. Physical. Make a list of positive influencers.

[00:16:28] Taty Fittipaldi: Step two. Recognize the potential troublemakers. Now let’s recognize the flip side, identify which influencers could have a significant negative impact on you, when things go south. Perhaps you get easily stressed in a chaotic environment. Environmental. Like me. Or your mood takes a hit when your expectations aren’t met. Emotional. Write down the ones that can drag you down.

[00:16:57] Taty Fittipaldi: I have a client who [00:17:00] exercises every single day, believe it or not. And when he doesn’t, he feels awful. He is super tuned in with his body, and when something is slightly wrong with his exercise routine, it wacks his entire day. So not exercising is on his list, not even as a potential troublemaker, but as a major troublemaker for him.

[00:17:26] Taty Fittipaldi: Step three, prepare for the worst case scenarios. It’s time to get proactive. Think about the strategies to mitigate the negative effects of these influencers and you can think about the three levels of mitigation: avoiding the obstacle or a negative effect, reducing it, or completely eliminating it. For example, if you’re a prone to stress in a messy environment, like you hate visual pollution, plan to declutter or organize ahead of time. If poor sleep affects [00:18:00] your performance, establish a bedtime routine and prioritize sleep. So get your list in step two, and think about the strategies for each item in your list, either to avoid, reduce, or a completely eliminate them.

[00:18:15] Taty Fittipaldi: Step number four. Stay mindful. And self-aware. Throughout your day pay attention to how these influencers are currently affecting you. Are you struggling with the lack of clarity In a task you have to perform? Mental. Does a coworker who incessantly complains about the company bring down your mood and productivity? Social. By recognizing these influencers as they happen, you can take action to address them in real time. When faced with mental challenges, for example, break down complex tasks into manageable steps and seek guidance if needed. In the case of a negative social influencer, stablish [00:19:00] boundaries. Focus on maintaining a positive mindset. And consider discussing the issue with your supervisor or HR department, if it persists and significantly impacts your work environment.

[00:19:12] Taty Fittipaldi: Number five. Seek professional guidance. If you find that certain influencers are consistently holding you back and you’re struggling to manage them on your own, consider getting an executive or leadership coach. If they are specialized in energy leadership, even better. These experts can help you develop personalized stragedies to tackle the challenges and harness the positive aspects of these influencers, so you can shine and feel your best.

[00:19:41] Taty Fittipaldi: Remember life is a dynamic journey and these influencers can change over time. By being proactive and seeking support when needed, you can navigate the ups and downs, allowing you to maximize the positive impact, and minimize the negative effects on your personal and [00:20:00] professional life.

[00:20:00] KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:20:00] KEY TAKEAWAYS: key Takeaways

[00:20:10] Taty Fittipaldi: What’s your main takeaway from this episode?

[00:20:13] Taty Fittipaldi: Here are mine.

[00:20:14] Taty Fittipaldi: One. Understanding the 6 CORE influencers spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, social, and environmental factors can help you enhance your executive presence and performance.

[00:20:29] Taty Fittipaldi: Two. Recognize how these six factors impact the way you think, feel, and react in different situations.

[00:20:37] Taty Fittipaldi: Three. By identifying and managing these influencers, you can take proactive steps to boost your energy, reduce stress, and optimize our leadership capabilities, ultimately improving our overall effectiveness in both life and work.

[00:20:54] Taty Fittipaldi: Four. Seek professional guidance and an executive coach, if some of these [00:21:00] influencers are proving to be difficult to handle alone. These experts can help you develop personalized strategies to tackle the challenges and harness the positive aspects of these influencers, so you can shine and feel your best.

[00:21:14] HIGHLIGHTS

[00:21:14] Taty Fittipaldi: This brings us to the end of these Leadership Nest episode. I hope you have enjoyed learning about the six influencers of success, high-performance, and executive presence. Join us for our upcoming episode next week, as we kick off a two part special to wrap up season one of the Leadership Nest podcast. In these two episodes, we’ll dwell into the topic of your relationship with time, offering valuable insights on effective time management and the prioritization of key tasks. Don’t miss out!

[00:21:49] Taty Fittipaldi: Wherever you are in the globe, this is Taty Fittipaldi wishing you a beautiful day.

[00:21:55] Taty Fittipaldi: [00:22:00] If you have any questions, you’d like us to answer in a future episode of this show, just go to speakpipe.com/tatyfittipaldi or click the link in the show notes, to leave us a brief audio message.

[00:22:13] Taty Fittipaldi: Make sure to visit us on our website www.theleadershipnest.com, where you can subscribe to our show anywhere podcasts are streamed, so you never miss the fun.

[00:22:26] Taty Fittipaldi: While there, if you find value in our show, you can also subscribe to our global leadership weekly newsletter from Coaching Expatriates®, where we deliver bite-sized lessons on global leadership, decision-making, and cultural competence to help you learn how to think, relate and strategize in a whole different way as a global leader.

[00:22:48] Taty Fittipaldi: If you liked our show, you might want to check her online global executive leadership program. A nine week leadership development and learning system, that will help you lead internationally while making [00:23:00] financially conscious and impactful business decisions.

[00:23:03] Taty Fittipaldi: Taty Fittipaldi is also available for private coaching. See the websites for more details at www.coachingexpatriates.com/executive-coaching.

[00:23:16] Taty Fittipaldi: Thanks for joining us this week on The Leadership Nest podcast. Be sure to tune in next week for our next episode. Until the next time, keep nesting.

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