Energy is the Secret Sauce for a High-Performing Team

Energy is the secret sauce for a high-performing team. But you already knew that.

Before you continue reading, I would like to ask you a question. How much energy do you have today? Pick a number from 0-100%. Quickly answer that question, I’ll wait. Did you write down or make a mental note of what your number is today? Now that you have your number, you’re okay to read on.

If you are like the thousands of other people who have done this very exercise, everyone can quickly write down or identify a numeric value, a percentage in fact, of how much energy they have. What is surprising, is that almost without fail, no one ever asks for the definition of energy. That’s because we already know what it is.

Energy is an Empirical & Complex Value

I promise I will not ask too many more questions, but if you have a moment, reflect on the number that you just wrote down, your number for today. What is your definition or interpretation of energy and how did you come up with this number? It is okay if you cannot succinctly define it, thousands of people have answered that question for us already, and they always come up with variations on the same thing. Although the number was easy to come up with, energy is complex. It is made up of many factors. Energy has to do with your body, for example, how much sleep you’ve had, whether you are sick or feeling pumped from a workout. You might have come to your number reflecting on how your mind is today; how clear you are, how excited you are (even for reading this post) and the other things that have your attention at the moment. You might have also pointed to the “ je ne sais quoi” or “the vibe” of how you are, or perhaps “the spirit of things” in your life at the moment, or how things are going for you. Your number will also reflect in the culture of what’s happening around you at home and perhaps at work.

Energy is Identifiable by Others

So, that quick number you came up with when you think about it, is a reduction of some of these very complex components as they stand for you today. I still find it amazing that all of us are able to come up with such a multifaceted number so quickly. But here is the really fascinating thing about that number. How much energy you have is a very practical and useful number. In fact, energy for all practical purposes is a reliable gauge of how you’re going today and also a reliable gauge of assessing how others around you are going as well. Think about the family members that you have around you or your work colleagues, I suspect that you will be able to gauge their numbers reliably within about 10% on any given day. And if you can, you’re not alone.

Secret Sauce?

Most importantly, I would say that the key differentiator between a high-performing team and one that is not performing to its fullest potential, is energy. If EVERYBODY in a team has high energy, they will be a high-performing team. Being in a team that has high energy is incredibly fun. That team will be creative, innovative, challenging, mindful, safer, faster, more innovative, more profitable and better in almost every measure. What’s more, just being in that team gives you more energy. It’s a great feeling when you live in a team like that. So really, energy is really the secret sauce to be looking for in any team in any organisation.

But you knew that already. It’s not much of a secret, is it?