Energy Leadership Blog - 7 Levels of Energy Leadership

Executive Leadership at Level 6 & Level 7

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:01:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

We have come a long way in this series of articles from the lowest levels of leadership which are levels 1 & 2 in the Catabolic or negative range of self absorbed negative ego. We have moved through the levels of 3, 4, & 5 of the self mastery Anabolic energy to come to the top two levels of energy leadership.

In his book entitled “Energy Leadership” Dr. Bruce Schneider states, “Level 6 leaders are powerful yet humble….At level 7, the three-dimensional world that you think you know and see becomes obscure and indefinable.” Rarified beings reside at Level 6 & Level 7 in the Energy Leadership dynamic.

Level 6 leaders transcend their own egos and are about pure joy for the sake of joy. Intuition is their true genius. Judgment is suspended at all levels in life and at work. The creativity of the person is at its peak and the development of self and of the business is key. The level 6 leader does not ask anyone to do anything they are not willing to roll up their sleeves and do themselves.

A leader who is this in tune with themselves and their organization does not have to ask what is going on. They know because they are tuned in at every level. The more they know the more they flow.

Level 6’s are visionaries and with them “Everybody Wins!” The advantage of the leader at this level is empathy without judgment. The disadvantage is the sense of the leader being “aloof” and being a high risk taker.

Being a level 7 leader is not sustainable. For this would be pure energy at its highest level. No one can sustain this for any period of time. We have all experienced it for a brief moment in time. Think back to a moment when you felt that you could not get any more positive or excited at the sheer joy of the moment. This is level 7. You felt like there is nothing stopping you.

Have you ever be part of something BIG? In that moment of pure experience you were a participant, you were viewing the moment from somewhere outside yourself and you were fluid within the moment all at the same time….that is a 7. For myself this happens when I hear a great piece of music and all the hairs on my arm stand up. It is like seeing the music and flowing in it all at the same time as hearing and experiencing the musical piece. Hiking up to a prescipice and seeing a sunrise and hearing it or sunset from the same vantage point. If you have not experienced this ever, may I challenge you to experience one of these moments in your own life.

Being able to draw upon these moments in time is what supports us when the level 1 and 2’s come into our lives. Because we have experienced the level 6 & 7’s in our lives we can dwell in the possibility of the higher level of Anabolic life and leadership. We know what is feels like and what is possible.

Level 1 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Disengage = Self Centered Leadership….

The Level 2 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Conflict = Conflict Level Leadership….

The Level 3 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Rethink = Self Mastery Leadership…

The Level 4 Leader is: Think + Rethink + Center = Heart Connection Leadership…

The Level 5 Leader is: Think + Center + Restore Objectivity = Opportunity Leadership…

The Level 6 Leader is: Think + Intuit + Recreate = Wisdom Leadership

The Level 7 Leader is: Think + Create = Self Transcendence Leadership

How will you lead? How will you lead in your own life? In the life of your family? In the life of your organization? In the life of your community?
We would love to hear about your Energy Leadership experiences!

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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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the article and author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

Level 5 Leadership: Great Leadership

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:00:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

Level 5 leadership is where most CEOs reside. At level 5 “things just are” and there is no “good” or “bad”. The leader at this level is looking from a perspective of reconciliation instead of identifying and focusing on the differences in the personnel and business organization as a whole.

A leader at peace from the inside out has greater acceptance and this acceptance produces the control needed to run the operation. This leader is driven by the opportunities which are evident everywhere at this level and is evident in every aspect of the leader’s personal and public life. Congruence is the key.

There is true synergy within and without at this level. We are now into the third level of Anabolic Energy in our leadership levels. When a person resonates at a level 5 they are indeed happy, secure, while maintaining a strong ego and sense of self. The level 5 is not afraid to be who they really are.

A Level 5 Leader motivates and inspires those around him or her. Opportunities are everywhere and a real sense of possibility surrounds them. Others are attracted to the positive atmosphere which is around them. This leader is in the “WE WIN” every time category. This is what I call the “Opportunity Mindset”. A very powerful place to come from.

If you are the employee of one of these level 5’s you are viewed as endowed with your own set of gifted skills and looked upon as full of potential. Who wouldn’t want to work for a level 5? Because of this viewpoint of the employee, a leader can be very specific about what is expected of the staff and are held accountable for their work and decisions.

Level 1 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Disengage = Self Centered Leadership….

The Level 2 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Conflict = Conflict Level Leadership….

The Level 3 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Rethink = Self Mastery Leadership…

The Level 4 Leader is: Think + Rethink + Center = Heart Connection Leadership…

The Level 5 Leader is: Think + Center + Restore Objectivity = Opportunity Leadership…

If you were a level 5 leader, how would your day, this month, this quarter, your employees and your organization look? Reframe your thoughts and adjust your lenses that you peer through everyday and see what might look and feel different. Try on just one of these perspectives and see what changes. Let us know what you discover.

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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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the article and author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

Level 4 Leadership: Effective Leadership with Compassion

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:59:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

Level 4 Leadership is all about concern which drives compassion which in turn leads to service. Compassion and concern are not part of the vernacular for the average leadership training. As leaders we all evolve and a leader who has evolved to this level is thinking beyond his/her scope of the business that they lead. This is a genuine desire. The desire to help others comes out of a satisfaction of where a leader is inside and outside of himself or herself and the environment that they work and live in.

In the overall perspective of the Energy Leadership dynamic this is the second level of Anabolic energy. As a person goes deeper into this level of leadership, their perspective changes to those around them, and their need to help others becomes apparent. This person wants to encourage others to take steps to become part of the plan and shares information freely and in return receives feedback and buy-in from those they lead.

This total freedom of choice is freeing in the ability of the Leader to exhibit those qualities which draws others to them. A level 4 is the heart of connection to others and the real desire to help others, perhaps even to “fix” their “brokenness”.

The leader is now interested in how their decisions affect others in the organization. This is true for the employee and the business as a whole. Let’s look at an advantage at this level of leadership. A leader does not take things personally and genuinely cares for those they lead.

The disadvantage at this level is getting caught up in the drama of things. The leader still wants to be liked and this can cause a dip in the overall production. This is particularly true of leaders who are new to a position and is still getting their footing and very much wanting to be liked first in the eyes of his/her new role.

Level 4 leaders see opportunity in those situations that surround them. When presented with a “problem” from a subordinate or peer, they turn it around to see the opportunity in the situation. What went wrong here becomes, what can we do differently next time and what went right in the process. This takes a different mindset which comes from inside of us.

Here we are again to our equation on Leadership:

Level 1 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Disengage = Self Centered Leadership….

The Level 2 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Conflict = Conflict Level Leadership….

The Level 3 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Rethink = Self Mastery Leadership…

The Level 4 Leader is: Think + Rethink + Center = Heart Connection Leadership…

A note of caution here, this level of leadership is about helping the other person, lifting them up. The situation is no longer about you. In the “I” message it is: “You Win”, because I fix you. We create our own reality at home, in relationship and in the workplace. Once again here a level 4 leader is continuing to “reframe” their point of view in each situation.

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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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the article and author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

Level 3 Leadership: Executive Leadership

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:58:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

Executive Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes of ego, determination, focus, vision, big picture things right down to how a person feels when then roll out of bed in the morning. You see our ability to lead begins deep inside us with the Anabolic Energy we create at a cellular level. If you doubt this then do some research on the physics of energy and start with Sir Isaac Newton, or Albert Einstein. You will find that they began their scientific study at a cellular level and found out that we are indeed made up of resonating energy. Like energy attracts like.

What are the characteristics of the Level 3 leader? In the realm of Energy Leadership this leader takes responsibility. Cooperation is the key component of behavior. A willingness to work with people you like and tolerate those you do not like. This leader is more positive than negative and really likes to WIN. He/she still harbors a judgment about others; however blame is not assigned here. There is great cooperation in the team mentality and focusing on making a difference in the lives of the group dynamic. A level 3 loves reaching and being shown off for their achievements.

Remember our level 1 and level 2 leader in previous articles? With the Level 3 Leader we now pass into the Anabolic or positive area of the Energy Leadership dynamic. These leaders from 3 up are all about positive focus. Yes, they may have disappointments and even set back and failures, however, they conscientiously chose not to dwell in the Catabolic or negative state of being. Yes being. When we put forth anabolic energy we get anabolic energy.

We are each responsible for the quality of our experience, no matter where we are in life, what our level of responsibility is or what our job is or relationship we are involved in. We are responsible for our reality.

Let’s look at our equation which is evolving at its next phase in the process.
Level 1 Leader is:

Think + Interpret + Disengage = Self Centered Leadership….

The Level 2 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Conflict = Conflict Level Leadership….

The Level 3 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Rethink = Self Mastery Leadership…

Remember that identifying what triggers your inner feelings is about Emotional Intelligence and your Energy Level inside. Your mood, causes you to react, say, decide whatever the next step you take, this all comes from within us not outside of us. Stop, rethink what you are really triggered about and chose not to stay in that negative place, take the anabolic high road.

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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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the article and author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

Poisoning the Well

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:57:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

In the foundational blocks that we put in place to build our businesses and for our careers and indeed for our professional lives, there are times when we are pushed into decisions by our feelings. When we do this we become almost paralyzed in the decision making process.

Do any of these statements have something that you can identify with?

• …Someone has failed me so I cannot…
• …I have failed someone so now I cannot…
• …I have failed myself in…so I cannot…

Which one is playing in your head? What would happen if we turned these statements around, put them in a new context and said:

• …Wow, that person let me down, I acknowledge that and I chose to move forward with my plan…
• …I know that I let you down in…I am sorry and I take 100% responsibility…
• …The next time I commit to something, I will do my homework and research and explore all my options so that I have a better opportunity to succeed…

What is the difference in these statements? It is my experience when I coach clients they go right for the beating up of themselves instead of looking at the situation in terms of the context of the whole picture. It seems to be an “external source” that is responsible for their not succeeding or failed outcome. We want to feel bad about what we have done so the first reaction is to blame someone or something else and to punish ourselves.

The person who comes from the learning context of example two, says, “…What can I learn about myself and those around me without being cynical and degrading, but rather uplifting and honoring of my own decision making process…”

Each morning we each get a clean sheet of paper to write the story of our lives on. Each day is another opportunity to reach out and make decisions which benefit us, our families and our businesses. Those decisions have a trickle down effect on our communities, our society, our State, and our Country.

In Energy Leadership Coaching, we call the first example: “Catabolic” or Negative. In the second example we call those statements: “Anabolic” or Positive. There is a distinct difference in the way our own self talk affects u s and how we operate in the world at large.

There is a classic epic film called “Lawrence of Arabia”. In short a British solider goes to Saudi Arabia and becomes immersed in the culture right down to donning traditional Arab clothing in lieu of his military uniform which was not practical in the desert . At one point in the film, Lawrence (played by the renowned British actor Peter O’Toole) is crossing a great desert, badly in need of water. His guide has them drink from a well that he knows of. Desert dwellers own the water in these wells and to take what is not yours without permission is “Death”, which is what happens to the guide and the well is poisoned, and the body left there as a warning to others. A well is the “life” of the desert, just as your own well is at the center of who you are and is there feeding you from the inside out.

When we poison our own wells with negative thoughts and lines from the tape playing inside our head and heart our entire being is poisoned. To keep the well full of fresh clean water, we must attend to the well and be vigilant at all times about what we put in and whom we give that fresh cool water to.

I’d like to know what you think.

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Janice Bastani 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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

Level 2 Leadership: Leadership At Work

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:56:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

Level 2 Leadership is leadership in conflict. A Leader at this level will see the world in a “dog eat dog” mentality. When a level 2 leader is pushing and pulling and demanding throws responsibility your way and then blames you when things go south; watch out. In management we call this “firefighter mode” or “managing from one crisis to the next”. What happens here is everyone feels absolutely depleted at the end of the day and feels as though they have nothing to show for their long hours of work.

What we know about this type of leadership energy or style is that a leader is operating out of a state of fear and with tunnel vision. As we discussed in our discussion of Level 1 leadership we know that this comes from within an individual and the change must also come from within the person. When a person goes from a level 1 leader to a level 2, he/she becomes energized with anger, which is a good thing in this case. It means that they are no longer willing to be apathetic. They are angry enough to do something about their situation.

A level 2 leader knows what they want. A level 2 leader knows how to play the game and how to win. Their vantage point is “you lose”. What the level 2 leader does here is although they know how to win, play the game and what they want; they pay the price of these decisions. They reap being unhappy, lonely, they have a lack of fulfillment and can become depressed.

A group of employees who are lead by a Level 2 Leader will tend to be burnt out, disengaged and there is a high resignation rate. A recent Gallup Poll stated that: “…some 20% actively are defiant and actively trying to sabotage their organizations…” Organizations with this leadership are short sited, exhibit fight or flight tendencies, and work in survival mode.

Let’s remember here that it takes two to have a conflict. Like energy seeks, like energy. All conflict is self conflict. Remember our equation?

The Level 1 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Disengage = Self Centered Leadership

What we now have is:

The Level 2 Leader is: Think + Interpret + Conflict = Conflict Level Leadership

Reflect on those whom you lead. We all lead everyday, no matter what level we are in the business we work in. It doesn’t matter if you deliver the mail in the mailroom or make decisions in the boardroom everyone is a leader. What fuels your purpose when you lead? What triggers you? We create our reality and it all starts inside us as energy at a cellular level. Generate the positive.

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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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

Level 1 Leadership: Sustainable Leadership

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:55:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

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.”

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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 or emailing her at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

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

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If you would like to reprint this article, please keep the author byline in tact and send the article link to Janice at focuscoaching@gmail.com.

7 Levels Of Leadership

nospam@example.com (Janice Bastani) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:36:00 -0600

Janice Bastani

July 23rd, 2007

Which one of these statements best describes you as a leader?

_I Lose, __You Win, __You Lose, ___I Create, __There is No Losing, ___We Win, or __ I Win.

The answer is a clue to what type of leader you are in your workplace and in your personal life. What's that? You say you are not a leader. Well, you are a leader either my choice or by default. Weather you realize it or not you are having a leadership position and you are modeling behavior every minute of every day.

What type of leadership are you modeling? There are two types of Energy Leadership. One is negative and is called "Catabolic" Energy. The second is positive or "Anabolic" Energy".

These two types of Energy Leadership are measured with an assessment, which shows our Average Resonating Level of Energy (ARL). This a snapshot in time of where we are in the 7 Levels of Energy.

The 7 Levels of Energy are Catabolic in the levels 1 & 2, level 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are all Anabolic. The Energy Leadership Program focuses on Behaviors, Emotions, and Thoughts which directly affect our available amounts of energy for leading in our daily lives. Those who go through this assessment and program are able to convert their Catabolic Energy and add it to their Anabolic and thus improve their lives at work and home. This in turn raises the Anabolic Energy and there are no limits as to the potential growth that a person can achieve. What do you want to do today?

Interested in learning more? Please visit our website at:

www.focusonenergyleadership.com

or send an email to: focuscoaching@gmail.com

Janice Bastani is a Professional Credential Coach with the International Coach Federation. She holds credentials in Energy Leadership Coaching and in Emotional Intelligence Coaching.