The Overlooked Leadership Strategy: Thanking Your Team for Their Energy
How recognising natural energy patterns can transform team dynamics and prevent burnout
I had a breakthrough conversation with a client last week that I'm still thinking about. We were discussing their team dynamics when I asked, "When's the last time you thanked your people for their ENERGY, not just their time?"
Blank stare. Then the lightbulb moment.
In a business world obsessed with time management, productivity hacks, and maximising every minute, we've overlooked something fundamental: energy is the true currency of work.
The Energy Oversight in Leadership
What I've observed over the years I've been coaching (and working in corporate environments myself) is that leaders obsess over time management but rarely acknowledge the different energetic patterns their team members naturally bring.
We schedule meetings, set deadlines, and create workflows assuming everyone operates with the same energy patterns. But Human Design has shown me how revolutionary a shift in perspective can be when we start recognising our innate energetic differences.
Understanding Different Energy Patterns
Your team isn't a collection of identical machines with the same operating systems. They're individuals with distinct energy patterns:
The Marathoners: Some team members bring steady, consistent energy day after day. They excel at maintaining long-term projects and providing stability. Their energy doesn't spike dramatically, but it rarely crashes either.
The Sprinters: Others operate in intense creative bursts followed by necessary recovery periods. During their "on" phases, they can produce brilliant work and innovative solutions, but they need genuine downtime to recharge.
Neither pattern is better than the other - they're simply different, and both bring tremendous value when properly understood and positioned.
The Transformative Results
What happens when leaders start recognising these patterns? The shift can be profound:
Team members who finally feel SEEN for their natural way of working
Reduced burnout as people stop fighting against their innate rhythms
More authentic work relationships built on genuine understanding
Improved project outcomes when tasks align with natural strengths
The most successful leaders I coach now map their teams' natural energy styles and align responsibilities accordingly. They create environments where marathoners can maintain their steady pace without interruption, while sprinters get the space for both intense work and genuine recovery.
Start the Energy Revolution in Your Team
This week, I challenge you to notice the unique energy patterns in your team:
Observe without judgment how different team members engage with work
Ask yourself who seems energised by what types of tasks
Consider whether your expectations align with people's natural patterns
Look for opportunities to match responsibilities with energy styles
Most importantly, acknowledge and thank people not just for their time, but for bringing their unique energy to work
Are you thanking your people for showing up with their unique energy, or still just counting their hours?
If you'd like to explore how understanding these energy patterns could transform your leadership approach and team dynamics, I'd love to help. Reach out to schedule a conversation about how Human Design and energy mapping could benefit your team.
May you thrive doing work you love,
Carly
