“Even without seeing her, I can tell when she is in the office; she’s like sunshine on a cloudy day. Her positive energy is so contagious.”
This is how a senior executive recently described the impact one of my clients has on everyone in the corporate office. Just by walking in the door.
Are you paying attention to what happens when you walk into the room?
When you enter, what do you see on the faces of everyone there? Do you see smiles or blank looks? What happens to the energy level? Do people lean in — ready to join you in the next set of challenges? Or do you see them pull back? Respond politely but put their guard up? Wait to see your mood first before really engaging?
I talked to another client recently and asked her how her week had been. She said, “it was really great, Don. Everyone was upbeat, we all worked together well and got some really big things done without a lot of stress.” I asked, “what accounted for that?” Her answer? “The boss was out of town.” Oops!
The climate affects everything we do.
We all bring our own ‘weather system’ to whatever room we enter. Cold or hot. Rain or shine. Gentle breeze or hurricane. From the kitchen with our family first thing in the morning to the coffee stand on our way into the office. And in the meeting rooms we work in all day long. Our mood affects the climate for everyone.
This is not trivial. Corporations spend fortunes on “culture change programs” and training their leaders in “executive presence”. Those programs often fall short. Why? They miss a key point. It all comes back to our mood as leaders. In today’s hyper-connected “YouTube” world, the ripple effect we create is massive and immediate. Our local actions go viral.
The good news? It doesn’t take a big expensive program to change.
It starts with us taking 100% responsibility for the impact our mood has on others. It’s up to us. Simple as that.
So get started. Become keenly aware of the impact of your personal energy. Ask yourself, “is my mood helping to achieve our mission? Am I creating a climate that invites people to give their best effort? To take risks without fear of being scapegoated? To invest trust in each other and collaborate at the highest level? Am I leveraging my mood as a precursor to results?
Choose the kind of infectious energy you want to bring. Practice until you can bring it consistently, no matter what swirls around you. When you slip, learn to quickly reset yourself.
Get your mindset, body and spirit all working together. Find a good coach to accelerate your mastery.
And watch everyone light up when you enter the room.