What energy are you bringing as a leader? Are you being defensive, saying it’s a long, hard battle in the midst of so many difficult challenges? Or are you being uplifting and excited, conveying how energized you are by the opportunities you see to expand and prosper together?

I see many leaders whose weight is on their back foot; they are fending off one problem after another. They use expressions such as “it’s so hard now” and “this environment is incredibly challenging”.

While I have deep empathy for the challenges, this isn’t the ideal way to lead.

A leader’s role is to bring people together behind a common goal. It’s to bring out their best, rather than merely push them to work harder and harder.

You bring out talent and energy by uplifting people, no matter the circumstances. One of my colleagues calls this grounded audacity: you fully understand the reality of the situation, but you still find a way to be bold and proactive. You aren’t dragged down by challenges; you are energized by them. They are your reason for doing what you do… to rise above what others thought were your limits.

You get to choose the energy you bring to every situation. Bring the kind of energy that moves people forward.