We might all remember sitting in a meeting where the most interesting thing to happen is the literal passage of time, which is also your only hope of getting out of there. Being bored is one of the worst feelings to encounter in your workplace. You can get through a stressful week full of challenges and come out of it with a better experience. But, what do you do when nothing happens? The lack of energy only impedes creativity and a lot of senior-level leaders do not really help in sharing the energy they seem to be riding.
If you have watched The Wolf of Wall Street, you must be familiar with Jordan Belfort. Let’s ignore the fact that he committed fraud as a Stock market manipulator for a second. He was capable of spreading his energy until his entire workforce reverberated with it. His employees committed all of the crimes knowingly because Belfort could get his message across. He did this with his magnetic leadership that focused on other people’s motivation and goals. He took his energy and made it available to others because he could share it.
Again, we are ignoring his message but focusing on how he could deliver it with his charm. Here are 3 behaviors that leaders need to practice to get an atmosphere of shared energy and remove boredom.
Positivity
Misery does love company. It feels nice and relieving to be able to talk about what’s bothering you to someone else and sulk. But, we need to remember to balance these emotions. A breath of positivity is important now and then, to take our mind off of things, to refocus on how to solve the problem or just focus on the bigger picture.
Being positive all the time is difficult and rightfully so. There is no need to be positive all the time but we should carry positive energy with us. The ability to put a positive spin on things is well appreciated when used appropriately. People like it when they are not thinking about the problems only for some time. Hope and optimism are cultivated when positive energy is brought in. Having a hearty laugh now and then will give people the drive to do their best despite the holdbacks.
Endurance
You need to bring your energy to life. Show that you’re willing to go to the next step with your team to achieve important goals. If you bring positive energy to the table but fall back on commitments, people will not be able to share the same energy.
Endurance is possible when your motivation to achieve goals remains steady. As a workforce, uncertainty is always going to be present. But, the ability to comfort in uncertain situations would help others reflect on your motivation. When you have Executive Presence, you have the courage of your convictions and are able to stand your ground in the face of opposition. This comfort would also help them to collaborate effectively, leading to the further spread of the energy that you exuberate.
Enthusiasm
If the mundanity of life is the villain, and boredom is its weapon, then an enthusiastic ‘hello!’ is our shield to protect ourselves.
A hello certainly goes a long way to make people feel a bit special in an ordinary situation. It may hardly take you a second to say ‘hi’ to someone you barely know at work, and that ‘hi’ might be the highlight of their day.
And in the endeavor to bring a little more zeal to both your and the other person’s lives – a perfunctory nod just cannot cut the deal! You have to instead commit yourself to give a big smile, and saying things like, “Hey! Long time no see!” Sharing your energy is the only way you’ll get a genuine smile and a real greeting in return.
Impact on Leadership
Portraying your positive energy to your team helps them build and sustain their motivation to achieve common goals themselves. The energy you give out reminds them that their involvement and contribution to the team matters equally as everyone else’s. Enduring through challenges with the same energy balances the energy with the integrity and care with which it needs to be used. Positivity-based energy is also linked to employee satisfaction and happiness through the mediating variable of enthusiasm, which affects the leaders back. This eventually results in better performance even if the complexity of the problem remains the same.
When you look at Ernest Shackleton’s voyage on The Endurance, it would be considered a failure considering the ship sank due to the ice. But, his energetic and responsible leadership got all of his men back to shore through an extreme ordeal spanning weeks. He managed the crises on hand because of his optimistic outlook and contagious energy that helped each member of the team give their best.
Do you still want people to associate the word boring with the meetings and conversations you’re part of?
Here’s how to turn that table around.
Star Mindset
Positive energy, care, and enthusiasm can be seen clearly and is highly contagious. People are more likely to model these behaviors when it comes from a place of integrity. When positivity and excitement are the basis, perseverance through difficult times becomes easier and even more rewarding. A Star Leader will show enough positivity to make people wonder what’s wrong with them, but all authentic. Negativities, shortcomings, and failures need to be acknowledged and worked on but with hope as the guiding star.
Would you like to rile up the people you work with through your uncontainable energy of yours? Here’s how you can implement these strategies directly.
3 Immediately Applicable Action Steps:
- Work side by side with your colleagues by staying up to date. Jumping into the trench and lifting people up with you shows your energy more than giving and passing orders.
- Share positive content with your employees. Good news that is relevant to your industry, sector, or workplace keeps the spirits up and a lot of them will sustain this environment of positivity.
- Have literal fun in your workplace. Crack jokes, play a few games now and then, and take breaks with non-work-related activities to keep the fun intact. They don’t have to belong, time-consuming activities that serve as a distraction but rather a well-deserved break.
Summary:
Only a leader that brings positive energy to the table can rile up their employees to achieve goals that were previously considered impossible. A Star leader combines their positive energy with endurance to deliver on goals, build relationships and help everyone have fun. #BeAStar
