Energy Giver or Energy Vampire? Which leadership style do you have?

By: John DiJulius | 5,023 Reads | 3 Shares

Featured in: Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine: Issue 2, 2020

%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E%22The+moment+you+became+a+leader+you+lost+the+right+to+make+excuses.+The+moment+you+became+a+leader%2C+it+stopped+being+about+you.%22%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EScience+has+proven+that+energy+is+exchanged+between+people+every+time+we+come+into+contact+with+one+other.+We+literally+give+and+receive+energy.+But+that+can+happen+in+two+ways.+You+can+be+an+%22Energy+Giver%2C%22+bringing+positivity+and+leaving+people+feeling+better+for+having+interacted+with+you%3B+or+your+negativity+drains+them%2C+and+you+are+known+as+an+%22Energy+Vampire%22+or+%22Energy+Sucker.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EI+love+what+Mark+Moses%2C+founding+partner+of+CEO+Coaching+International%2C+says%3A+%22The+CEO+is+the+Chief+Energizing+Officer.%22+In+fact%2C+the+greatest+leaders+are+the+best+energy+givers+all+of+the+time.+Their+presence+can+change+a+room.+After+conversations+with+these+types+of+leaders%2C+employees+get+excited+about+themselves+and+the+critical+part+they+play+in+the+company%27s+success.+Leaders+with+energy+make+those+around+them+better.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EAsk+yourself+if+you+are+an+energy+giver+or+an+energy+sucker.+Just+because+you+high-fived+someone+this+week+doesn%27t+make+you+a+full-time+energy+giver.+You+have+to+do+it+consistently.+It+must+be+a+conscious+decision%2C+an+intentional+choice.+Energy+givers+do+the+following%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Eraise+the+confidence+of+everyone+they+come+in+contact+with%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Eimprove+morale%2C+chemistry%2C+and+performance%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Econstantly+show+gratitude+and+thanks%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Egive+everyone+else+the+credit%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Ebelieve+in+others%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Eare+there+for+others+when+they+struggle%2C+fail%2C+or+are+going+through+hard+times%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Eare+their+employees%27+biggest+cheerleaders%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Econstantly+find+out+what+their+employees%27+goals+are+and+help+them+achieve+those+goals%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Eare+great+listeners%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Ealways+build+strong+relationships+and+build+emotional+capital+with+those+around+them%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3Ewill+walk+through+fire+for+those+on+their+team+give+more%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EIt+is+just+as+important+to+reflect+on+the+type+of+people+around+you.+Are+you+surrounding+yourself+with+energy+givers+or+energy+vampires%3F+How+do+the+people+in+your+life+and+at+work+compare+with+the+list+above%3F+Are+you+hiring+and+promoting+energy+givers%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Ch2%3ECaught+you+doing+something+right%21%3C%2Fh2%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EDo+you+have+a+system+that+reminds+and+inspires+you+to+encourage+others+on+a+consistent+basis%3F+In+my+companies%2C+one+of+the+most+effective+tools+in+boosting+morale+is+our+%22Caught+You+Doing+Something+Right%22+card%2C+which+acknowledges+some+specific+positive+action+or+behavior+a+team+member+has+executed.+We+keep+stacks+of+these+cards+in+the+employee+break+room%2C+call+center%2C+and+any+other+room+a+team+member+may+enter.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EWe+started+using+them+as+a+management+tool%2C+and+now+everyone+has+access+to+them.+An+employee+may+open+their+drawer+and+find+a+%22Caught+You+Doing+Something+Right%22+card+thanking+them+for+helping+someone+through+a+mini-crisis+the+day+before.+Most+employees+collect+and+save+these+cards.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EOur+management+team+is+%3Cem%3Erequired%3C%2Fem%3E+to+catch+people+doing+something+right+on+a+regular+basis.+This+is+so+embedded+in+our+culture+that+we+now+have+a+spreadsheet+with+every+employee%27s+name+down+one+side+and+each+manager%27s+name+across+the+top.+The+manager+fills+in+the+date+they+last+sent+that+employee+a+%22Caught+You+Doing+Something+Right%22+card.+This+way+we+can+spot+when+someone+hasn%27t+been+recognized+in+a+while+and+immediately+%22catch%22+them.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EWe+have+even+held+%22Caught+You+Doing+Something+Right%22+contests%2C+where+the+employee+who+%3Cem%3Egives%3C%2Fem%3E+the+most+cards+wins+a+gift+certificate+to+a+nice+restaurant.+The+entire+team+really+gets+into+it.+One+shy+employee+went+home+one+night+and+wrote+out+111+personalized+cards+to+everyone+on+our+staff.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Ch2%3EGo+rank+yourself%21%3C%2Fh2%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EWant+to+know+how+well+a+leader+is+creating+high+employee+morale%3F+Ask+employees+to+rank+their+direct+leader+on+the+following+three+questions+on+a+scale+of+1+to+5+%285+being+the+highest%29%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Col%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDoes+this+leader+care+about+the+company%3F%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDoes+this+leader+care+about+my+success%3F%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDoes+this+leader+care+about+me+as+a+person%3F%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Fol%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EPerception+is+reality.+If+the+average+score+from+your+employees+is+less+than+a+4.5+for+any+of+those+three+questions%2C+you+have+work+to+do--and+it+is+clear+in+which+area.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+style%3D%22border-top%3A+1px+solid+%23DDDDDD%3B+padding-top%3A+5px%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%3Cem%3EJohn+R.+DiJulius+III%2C+author+of+%3Cstrong%3EThe+Customer+Service+Revolution%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E+is+president+of+The+DiJulius+Group%2C+a+customer+service+consulting+firm+that+works+with+companies+including+Starbucks%2C+Chick-fil-A%2C+Ritz-Carlton%2C+Nestle%2C+PwC%2C+Lexus%2C+and+many+more.+Contact+him+at+216-839-1430+or+info%40thedijuliusgroup.com.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E

Published: March 31st, 2020