Your Energy is Your Greatest Leadership Currency (And It's Time to Start Protecting It)
There’s a moment every leader faces - when we realize that something we’ve been holding onto is no longer serving us. A role, a project, a commitment that looked great on paper but, in reality, is siphoning our energy like an open drain.
I had one of those moments recently.
After much (over)thinking, I stepped away from something that no longer aligned with where I needed to be. And I’ll be honest - I judged myself for it. After all, isn’t leadership about resilience, persistence, making things work? But the minute I let it go, something powerful happened.
I reclaimed my energy.
I cleared my desk. Shifted my workspace. Gave myself permission to think bigger. And almost instantly, clarity followed. Not by chance, but by design. Because here’s the truth:
Your environment is either fueling or draining your leadership.
In the corporate world, we’ve normalized chaos as a side effect of leadership. The back-to-back meetings. The notifications that never end. The quiet resignation that feeling overwhelmed is just part of the deal.
But what if I told you that this is the single biggest barrier to your effectiveness?
Research in neuroscience and productivity shows that constant context-switching (aka the ping-ping-ping of modern leadership) reduces cognitive performance by up to 40% and skyrockets stress levels. Leaders who don’t actively protect their energy operate in reaction mode, losing their ability to think strategically, influence effectively, and - let’s be real - actually enjoy their work.
And yet, most of us let these energy drains persist. We tolerate them. We tell ourselves we’ll power through. We assume that feeling stretched thin is just what leadership requires.
It’s not.
The environment you tolerate is the leadership you create.
A 2023 Forbes article emphasizes the importance of energy management in leadership, noting that leaders who proactively protect their focus and recovery cycles outperform their peers in both decision-making and sustained productivity.
The leaders doing this well aren’t just managing time - they’re managing energy, attention, and environment.
So, if the best leaders protect their energy like a scarce resource, why don’t more of us do the same?
Because we’ve been conditioned to believe that busyness = effectiveness. That exhaustion = dedication. That sacrificing our own clarity and focus is the price we pay for leadership.
That thinking is outdated and frankly, it’s holding us back.
How to Reclaim Your Energy (and Your Leadership Edge)
Your energy is your most valuable leadership asset. Protecting it isn’t a luxury, it’s an absolute strategic priority.
Three Ways to Take Back Control
✅ Audit your energy leaks. Take a brutally honest look at what’s draining you—be it a role, a habit, or a relationship. What are you tolerating that’s costing you more than it’s giving? If you weren’t already committed to it, would you sign up for it today? If not, why are you still holding on?
✅ Redesign your workspace for clarity. Small shifts - like decluttering your desk, creating thinking space, or even moving to a different environment - can dramatically impact your mental clarity and ability to lead effectively. Studies show that a cluttered workspace leads to decreased focus and increased stress. Where can you create space for fresh thinking?
✅ Set boundaries that actually stick. Leadership isn’t about being available 24/7, it’s about being present and effective when it truly matters. What’s one boundary you could set this week to protect your focus? Maybe it’s blocking out deep work time. Maybe it’s disabling notifications for an hour a day. Maybe it’s learning to say no without guilt.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We’re in an era where leadership isn’t just about making decisions. It’s about staying ahead of the game. And staying ahead requires clarity, creativity, and strategic foresight.
You can’t access those things if your mental bandwidth is constantly hijacked by distractions, obligations, and unchecked energy drains.
You can’t drive innovation if you’re spending every waking moment firefighting.
You can’t show up as a bold, visionary leader if you’re exhausted by the weight of a million micro-decisions every day.
Which brings me to this: If you’re feeling stretched thin, pulled in a million directions, or just off your game, it’s time to take a step back. Not just to push through, but to recalibrate.
A Simple (But Powerful) Tool to Help You Take Back Control
If this resonates, here’s something that might help. I created a free 15-minute diagnostic tool called Balance Your Brave—designed specifically for senior leaders navigating high-pressure environments.
It’s a quick but powerful exercise to help you:
- Pinpoint your biggest energy leaks - so you can stop feeling stretched thin.
- Diagnose exactly where to focus for the biggest leadership impact.
-
Identify clear next steps that will help you consistently show up as your highest-performing, most energised self - at work and beyond.
Because the reality is this: you don’t show up as one-dimensional. Your leadership, your personal life, your wellbeing, it’s all connected. And when you take the time to align your energy with what truly matters, everything shifts.
Ready to reclaim your energy and lead with clarity?
👉 Download Balance Your Brave Now (It’s free. And it might just change how you lead.)
Because leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about creating the conditions where your brilliance can actually flow.
Sources:
https://mobileit7.medium.com/context-switching-pt-1-whats-the-cost-5b2ed37069a2
https://hbr.org/2023/12/use-strategic-thinking-to-create-the-life-you-want
