The Future of Leadership Is Energy, Not Ego.

This post draws from Chapter 8 of my book, Bring Your Big Energy: Ignite the Authentic Power Within You. 

In it, I share what I call “Big Leader Energy,” a fresh approach to leadership that replaces performance pressure with authentic presence. Because leadership isn’t about managing people, it’s really about managing energy for yourself, and the collective group.

The kind of energy that inspires trust, fuels momentum, and creates a ripple effect across every room you enter.

When I wrote this chapter, I wanted to redefine leadership as an energetic practice, something deeply human, deeply intentional, and completely transformational. As a leader, as an executive, your title will open up doors for you to enter, however, its your authentic energy that creates true magic, and when done right, inspires followership and buy-in to your overall mission.

Throughout my career, I noticed a clear pattern in myself and others: the most effective leaders weren’t always the smartest or the loudest, they were the ones who led with steady, intentional energy. They created calm in chaos, clarity in confusion, and connection in moments of pressure. In contrast, the least effective leaders carried frenetic, number only driven, fear-based energy that trickled down into every interaction. Their teams mirrored that anxiety, just as energized teams mirror confidence and trust.

Leadership isn’t only about strategy or skill, it’s about authentic energy alignment. The energy you project is the culture you create.

Here are some key nuggets from the book:

1. Your Energy Sets the Tone

Every leader radiates energy, intentional or not. When you walk into a room, your presence tells your team if it’s safe to speak, stretch, or shrink. Big Leader Energy is calm, grounded, and contagious. You can have the perfect vision deck and still lose people if your energy says, “I’m not okay” or "the pressure is on." Before every meeting, pause and ask: What energy am I bringing in, and what energy do I want to leave behind? Energy sets the culture faster than any strategy ever could.

2. Connection Over Control

The strongest leaders don’t micromanage, they empower and they magnetize. Control might deliver short-term compliance, but connection builds long-term commitment. In today’s workplaces, people don’t want to be managed; they want to be trusted. Big Leader Energy is about creating all levels of safety (emotional, psychological, and energetic) so people feel empowered to bring ideas forward. Find ways to listen to your team, ask for input, evaluate ideas and create opportunities to connect through brainstorming toward your shared goal. Empowering and creating ownership at the same time. When you replace control with connection, you unlock creativity, collaboration, and courage.

3. Drop the Armor

Authenticity is the new authority. Leadership is no longer about having all the answers, it’s about asking the right questions, admitting when you’re wrong, and leading from a place of transparency. When leaders show up human, they give others permission to do the same. I call this “leading without the corporate costume.” Your team doesn’t need perfection, in fact is it important for them to know that you have failed and learned along the way. What they really need is your presence. They need to see that vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s the bridge to trust.

4. Be an Energy Multiplier

Leadership is an energy economy. Every interaction either ignites you or drains you. Audit your calendar, meetings, and habits to see what gives life, and what takes it? Are you spending time where your energy has impact, or where it gets absorbed? Have your team do the same, on their own or together collectively.

Big Leader Energy means multiplying optimism, clarity, and purpose. It’s not about high energy all the time, it’s about clean energy: grounded, focused, and intentional. Great leaders turn moments of friction into opportunities to recalibrate and refocus the collective.

One of my favorite practices is the “Energy Audit.” Each week, I ask myself: Who or what drained me? Who or what lit me up? Then I make small adjustments. When you remove one drain (one toxic meeting, one unclear goal, one energy vampire) you make space for renewed vitality across your team.

5. Ignite the SPARK in Others

The most inspiring leaders light the way for others to discover their own power. They don’t hoard energy, they intentionally find ways to distribute it. T

his is where the SPARK framework becomes transformational inside organizations:

• Self-Reflection: Model curiosity and growth. Show your team that awareness is strength.

• Purpose: Anchor every goal to the bigger shared mission. People perform at their best when they understand why their work matters.

• Abandon: Give them permission to let go of what’s no longer serving the team, outdated processes, ego-driven routines, or toxic habits. Say it out loud to stakeholders to provide air cover for them.

• Results: Celebrate progress, even the small steps, not just performance. Recognize energy shifts as much as metrics.

• Kinetic Energy: Keep momentum alive through consistent action, gratitude, and celebration.

When leaders embody SPARK, teams feel seen, safe, and inspired. They don’t just deliver results, they evolve together.

6. Lead Beyond the Metrics

The best leaders know that the health of their team’s energy predicts outcomes more accurately than a long list of KPIs. Energy health drives engagement, retention, and innovation. When people feel energized by their work and their leader, they go beyond effort, they will always over perform, and will be operating in a state flow. Big Leader Energy is contagious, and when you nurture it intentionally, you create a culture where people don’t just work harder, they want to contribute, they are hungry to be a part of something innovative and exciting.

The Big Takeaway

Big Leader Energy is leadership that feels alive. It’s not about doing more; it’s about leading from alignment, where purpose meets presence. When your energy is clear, your leadership becomes unstoppable. You stop chasing validation and start creating transformation. You stop managing energy and start amplifying it. And that’s where real leadership begins, when the energy you bring becomes the spark that lights the way for others.

Ignite The SPARK:

If this resonates with you, take a few minutes today to check in with your leadership energy.

Ask yourself: Am I leading from alignment or exhaustion? Am I energizing my team or draining them? 

Your answer might reveal your next Intensity Point, the moment where your next level of leadership begins.

And, if you’re ready to explore your own SPARK as a leader, there are two powerful ways to begin.

You can listen to the full Chapter 8 in the Bring Your Big Energy audiobook to dive deeper into these lessons HERE or, if you’re ready to put them into action, book an introductory coaching call with me HERE. I have a limited number of 1:1 spots for new leaders in November who are ready to lead with clarity, purpose, and BIG ENERGY.

And as always, if you want more? Get exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, coaching tools, leadership insights, early access to new projects, and subscriber-only perks I only share with my inner circle — join my newsletter today HERE

Because when leaders change their energy, they change everything.