How much energy is this worth?
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Reader, This week, we're shifting to emails that focus more on perspective, perception, and direction than practical action. And our question: How much effort should a team member give their work? All or nothing? Rarely do all team members agree on the right answer at any given moment. Making assumptions. I used to see it as a negative when a team member didn’t give their all—when they scrutinized their time, did the bare minimum, or held back effort. To me, it was a sign they weren’t committed. On the flip side, giving everything—no matter the cost—seemed like a positive. A sign of being "all in." But my own life proves otherwise. Not every task requires full effort. In fact, sometimes, giving less is not only okay—it’s necessary. For example:
If you spent all your money on every trinket you saw, there wouldn’t be anything left for what truly matters. The same is true with your energy and attention. They're finite resources that need to be spent (and saved) wisely. Pouring out energy. For years, I was high-energy all the time. I poured it all out—without ever asking how much was actually needed. Then, one moment changed my perspective forever. Tom Chi had arrived to keynote a large event I’d been orchestrating for months. A lot was riding on it, and I was “on” long before a single attendee arrived. I saw Tom near the sound booth, oddly still. I knew he’d flown in from China the day before, so when I noticed him moving slowly as he asked for a cup of green tea, I was concerned. “Are you tired?” I asked. “No. Not at all,” he replied. “I just don’t need to use my energy yet.” Wow. Then I watched him stroll on stage and deliver one of the most impactful keynotes I’ve ever seen. He didn’t stop when the event was scheduled to end—and a room full of Founders and CEOs stayed an extra hour just to keep listening. The difference. Energy is finite. You can’t spend it on everything and still expect your cup to be full when it matters most. You wouldn’t overpay for something worth far less. Likewise, you shouldn’t overspend your energy on tasks that don’t require it. Energy should be spent in the exact amount the situation calls for—not less, not more. Ask yourself:
What about perception? If you were raised to believe your worth is tied to effort, you might have some rewiring to do. Pay attention to how you feel when a teammate:
Do you ever—even briefly—question their commitment? Yes, sometimes people do under-deliver. That’s real. But sometimes, they’re managing their most valuable resource well. It might be time to redefine effort, not as a sign of commitment, but as a strategic choice. Managing energy as a resource. Human energy is the most valuable—and limited—resource in our organizations. Consider the impact of a team thinking about questions like:
Back to perception again. "Are people doing enough?" is one of the biggest questions that brews inside teams. It creates resentment when people feel like they’re giving more than others. It leads to burnout when people give everything all the time. It hurts outcomes when energy is wasted on the small things at the expense of what’s important. Perspective is often the remedy. Perhaps a simple remedy is seeing energy as a resource and spending it wisely as a team. What do you think? How will this perspective help you in your team? Thanks for reading! Enjoy! Sara Like this content? Share it with a Millennial or Gen Z leader you know, and give them the gift of perspective. Follow me on LinkedIn |