Why Your Energy Is a Bigger Business Asset Than Your Capital and How to Protect It
“People believe that time is their most precious commodity. Time is important, but ENERGY is the most precious commodity,” said Matt Johnson. In his book, Capacity, he explained that having a bunch of time and no energy, you cannot enjoy it. But if you have insane energy but limited time, great things would be possible.
One hour of focused work can outperform 10 hours of distracted effort. Most founders and business owners focus on time blocks and to-do lists, but they generally ignore the state they are in while working. Time doesn’t scale, but energy does. The major issue in holding a business is not on your calendar but in the tasks, people, and problems that drain your capacity.
If you end your day feeling exhausted, frustrated, and unfocused, it is not because you are doing too much, but because you are doing it wrong. You can’t operate at a high level when your energy is trapped in a low-impact task.
Successful entrepreneurs and business leaders don’t work more; they work smarter, aligning their valuable tasks with their highest energy windows.
The 4 Ways Energy Drives Business Growth
The feeling of burnout does not come from doing too much but from doing too little that feels like purpose. Energy is the driving force behind your actions, decisions, and overall productivity. Here’s why your energy is a bigger business asset:
Better productivity
When you hold high energy levels, you can maintain focus and efficiency. You feel motivated to achieve your goals and deadlines. If your energy level is low, it reduces your productivity, leading to missed opportunities and slower growth.
Enhanced decision-making
When you run a business, you need to be quick in making decisions. It is possible with optimal energy to keep your mind sharp and clear and let you think critically and make sound judgements.
Resilience and adaptability
In the entrepreneurial journey, you need to deal with a wide range of challenges. When you hold robust energy levels, you easily bounce back from challenges and have the adaptability to move with them when required. That is why your energy is a bigger business.
Leadership and influence
Leading a company means mentoring a team from different backgrounds. You need a high level of energy to foster a positive, motivated work culture. But the low energy can lead to disengagement and decreased morale.
How to Protect and Invest Your Energy Level as a Leader
When you run a business, every decision comes with an energy cost. Every distraction in your journey reflects a withdrawal from your potential. Let’s start with how you can protect your energy:
- Start with yourself: As a business owner, keep your energy level high; this is the strongest way to keep your team energetic. First, understand what gives you energy and what depletes it. Now purposefully gravitate toward the former and avoid the latter. The key factor here is modelling the behaviour. If you expect your employee to take care of their mental and physical health, be mindful of yours. As a leader, if you believe your team needs time off, take time off for yourself.
- Create visibility and clarity: Uncertainty is one of the big enemies of energy. The best combination to end uncertainty is visibility, clarity and transparency. It presents a clear understanding of where you are moving with right visibility, how you’re going to get there and how you’re growing along the way.
- Nurturing an Empathetic Culture: Energy is not a different concept; it directs the function of how a person absorbs and experiences things. Everyone goes through personal feelings, and empathy is the only way to understand them. Here, it means listening as much as you talk. In an empathetic culture, employees are encouraged to share their feelings and are provided with safe spaces, and leaders behave with empathy toward the changes their employees are experiencing every single day.
Finally, energy is the new capital; follow these strategies to keep your energy level high. Today, energy has emerged as the biggest business asset. Entrepreneurs and founders who best manage and maintain it will be those best positioned to thrive. Invest accordingly.
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