The question is not can one sustain leadership, but rather can someone be a leader and maintain a low negative resonance in the workplace and expect compliance and growth in a business where they are in a position of authority? What do you think? Over the next few paragraphs we will explore this and see if your answer is correct.

What is Level 1 Leadership? Level 1 Leadership is a leader that displays the following traits either knowingly or unknowingly and expects results: Point of views framed in a catabolic manner, low awareness of what is going on around them, inappropriate display of emotions, employees, and peers on edge when this leader is around them. Attracts or hires like energy in hopeless people, constant battle with everyone, and everything. This leader sees the world as a full of competitive, angry aggressive people. When a leader begins to feel apathetic, appears dull in emotions and senses, and has no energy to spearhead initiatives or programs, you have a definite Catabolic or negative leader in your midst.

So what does one do about this? A little education is in order here. The physics of energy is a basis for all living things. What you say? Well let me explain; Sir Isaac Newton, a famous scientist postulated that: “…each person is separate from everything else. Events are caused by relationships between solid objects. What initially appears to be solid matter actually vibrates and moves. At its core everything is pure energy. Outer forces don’t strictly determine the events in our lives; instead, events are influenced – and maybe determined – by the forces within us…,” in other words energy. In order to change the energy level from a level 1 upward, a person has to change his internal energy which vibrates and changes outward behavior.

Maureen Moriarty in an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says: “…the impact of a negative boss can create chaos in a room…and bodies in his wake…the ends do not justify the means. We all have hooks and triggers that can result in an impulsive or emotional reaction.” Identify what triggers you. All of this has to do not only with energy leadership but, also emotional intelligence. Remember you create your reality.

You can think of it like this: I think + I Interpret + I Disengage = Catabolic Leader.

In future articles we will go through each of the 7 levels of Energy Leadership and see how this energy equation changes to become the successful Anabolic Leader. Albert Einstein observed, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

Author's Bio: 

This article is one of seven articles in a series on the 7 Levels of Energy Leadership, written by Janice Bastani. Janice is a Professional, Credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation. She holds credentials in Energy Leadership Coaching and in Emotional Intelligence Coaching. Learn more about Janice and the Energy Leadership Program Assessment by visiting www.FocusOnEnergyLeadership.com.

Want to read more articles by Janice? Visit the Energy Leadership Blog.