Leadership Techniques for Raising Energy Levels in Hybrid Work Teams

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Employee engagement has become front and center for many companies these days. With the hybrid work setup and the ever-rising attrition rates from quitting employees, leaders must be able to properly balance bottom-line concerns with team member flexibility and needs.

In today’s podcast episode, we interview Rebecca Ahmed, CEO of Energetic Impact. Today’s topics are focused on fostering energy and vigor in teams. Rebecca covers the seven levels of energy required to raise energy levels in hybrid teams and allow them to Team Anywhere.

What Surprised Rebecca Over the Last 2 Years

Rebecca mentioned in the podcast that over the last 2 years there has been a huge shift in how organizations use offices and how team members interact and communicate with one another. Rebecca took the time to study and learn (through iPEC) a special process for coaching and leading with energy. With this process, she uses a series of inventories and exercises to help leaders and teams use their energy to strengthen engagement and productivity.

Bringing Energy and Vigor in Organizations and Teams

According to Rebecca, personal energy is defined as a person’s vigor or capacity to move towards a goal or action. Understanding the emotional, physical and mental aspects of energy helps in making shifts in a person’s perspective. Thus, perspective is what causes a shift in energy, not the other way around.

One typical example of building off of existing energy is something inherent in GenZ behavior. Gen Zs have a tendency to “find and define themselves.” They love collaboration and it is a form of energy for them. A leader can utilize high-levels of collaboration in connecting Gen Z team members with the organization’s culture and goals. Rebecca points out that even though every generation tends to have “favorite overall energy needs,” each person is different and thus a personalized approach must be utilized.

The Seven Levels of Energy

Rebecca mentioned in the podcast that there are seven (7) different levels of energy. By knowing one’s own level tendencies, a person can be mindful of moving among the levels to gain maximum effectiveness and productivity towards work and interpersonal interactions. A leader who is able to note the behaviors of different levels can also adjust their approach in guiding team members towards more energy.

Level One (L1) – This is the safety zone. This is the lowest level of energy. This is the body’s way of protecting a team member from unnecessary risk. Making the decision to take the risk with confidence will increase a person’s energy from this level.
Level Two (L2) – Level two is the area of conflict and this is where most organizations and team members lie. A common theme seen within organizations within this level would be the constant need to power and push through stress. This is based on the perception that conflict is always constant and one must be able to deal with it head-on.
Level Three (L3) – Level three is the first level that starts to show the constructive versus the destructive tendencies. It is all about finding the silver lining. And that silver lining will place persons or organizations in a state of complacency which may result in a lack of excitement or growth. But once this level is surpassed, making shifts will become easier.
Level Four (L4) – Level four is about caring for others. It is all about caring for the team, caring for the customers and caring about everyone. However, one must make sure to also give care for themselves and their organization so that they will not end up empty handed.
Level Five (L5) – Level five is all about leading with curiosity. This is a level wherein everything is an opportunity to grow, to learn. Challenges become opportunities and instead of weighing things down, people and organizations are able to make shifts quickly and with ease.
Level Six (L6) – Level six is all about creativity and collaboration which manifests as energy. This is the creativity zone wherein team members and organizations find the space to freely and smoothly exchange ideas.
Level Seven (L7) – Level seven is the highest level of energy one can attain. This is the level wherein aha-moments and eureka moments become frequent. This is where energy is being used as fuel for innovations.

Leadership Techniques in Raising Energy Levels in Teams

Rebecca shared that there are three (3) important key points in conducting energy leadership assessments in order to raise energy levels in teams and organizations.

Know Their Baseline Energy Levels – Different individuals, teams and organizations operate at different baseline energy levels. As a leader, knowing the current situation of the average energy level will determine the appropriate next set of actions to raise energy levels.
Know Their Values – Centering on the organization’s values (motivators, exciting visions)-and knowing the energy level of each individual and team–can help a leader determine the next set of actions appropriate for increasing energy levels.
Personalized Approach – Treating each individual and team as different entities and having a set of personalized approaches will help in increasing the success rate of increasing energy levels.

Who is Rebecca Ahmed?

Rebecca Ahmed is an award-winning speaker, business consultant, and Energy Leadership Index™ Master Practitioner (ELI-MP). She possesses exclusive skill in human energy practices and in ways we can experience, express, and expand it in ourselves and others. Rebecca is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is a published writer with her work featured in Forbes, National Association of Colleges and Employers, Talent Management & HR, Recruiting Daily, and Talent Culture.

Under her direct supervision, Allegiant Airlines won Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Interview” award. Caesars Entertainment, the largest casino-entertainment company in the U.S., retained Rebecca as their new “Chief Energy Officer” in 2021. Her role includes speaking twice monthly at their Emerging Leader Summits across their 55 U.S. based properties.