Positively Energizing Leadership

Virtuous Actions and Relationships That Create High Performance

Kim Cameron

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781523093854
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Betriebswirtschaft
• Subtopic: Leadership

This practical guide, the first to show how leaders can achieve extraordinary results through the positive energy generated by virtuous interactions with employees, is written by one of the giants in the study of positive leadership. This book reveals one of the most important but frequently ignored factors that lead to spectacular performance in organizations. Kim Cameron, a true pioneer in the study of positive leadership, offers validated scientific evidence that all individuals are inherently attracted to and flourish in the presence of positive energy, a principle known in biology as heliotropism. Further, he shows that the positive relational energy generated by leaders' virtuous behaviors—such as generosity, compassion, gratitude, trustworthiness, forgiveness, and kindness—is tightly linked to extraordinary organizational outcomes like greater innovation, higher profits, and increased engagement and retention. Cameron has not written a feel-good tome about the power of positive thinking, "happiology, " or unbridled optimism. This research-based explanation shows how to achieve performance that exceeds expectations. He provides practical suggestions, assessments, and exercises showing how leaders can improve their own positive energy and increase positive relational energy in their organizations. Positively Energizing Leadership is a major contribution to the theory and practice of leadership.

1

FORMS OF ENERGY AND THE HELIOTROPIC EFFECT

The rapidly changing and unpredictable environment being experienced by much of the world’s population might accurately be described as “VUCA,” an acronym coined by the U.S. military that refers to volatile, un-certain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. Varying directions from national leaders and organizations, contradictory scientific findings, and a barrage of social media advice for how to cope with the anxiety, stress, and apprehension have often produced more confusion than clarity. In such circumstances, an important principle becomes ever more relevant: In order to effectively manage turbulent circumstances, we must identify something that is stable, universal, and constant.

Consider the case of John Kennedy Jr., the son of the 35th president of the United States. John was flying his private plane from New Jersey to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts when the conditions became dark and cloudy. He had been trained to fly by sight navigation but not by instrumentation through conditions of invisibility. He ended up flying the plane into the ocean, killing himself, his wife, and her sister. He had not known he was headed toward water. When the plane’s black box was recovered, it was discovered that he had actually been accelerating toward the ocean, erroneously assuming he’d been climbing in altitude.

When everything in the environment is changing, it is impossible to effectively manage the circumstances, especially over the long term. Something must be constant or immovable in order for us to navigate change effectively. If we are sitting in the middle of one of the Great Lakes on a dark, cloudy night and asked to point north, we have a very low probability of getting it right. Something must be stable and constant (e.g., the stars or the shore) in order to navigate.

What, then, does not change in the long run? How can we navigate VUCA environments? Many things remain constant over time, of course, but one of the most important and universally consistent factors is the human inclination toward positive energy. In nature, the sun is a source of life-giving energy. If we put a plant in the window, over time it will lean toward the light. This is an example of the heliotropic effect. It is most accurately described this way: All living systems are inclined toward or attracted to that which is life-giving—toward positive energy—and are disinclined toward or avoid that which is life-depleting or life-endangering. All human beings flourish in the presence of positive energy and languish in the presence of negative energy, or they orient themselves toward that which is life-giving and away from that which is life-depleting.¹

In nature, positive energy is most often experienced in the form of sunlight—photosynthesis occurs only in the presence of light—but positive energy may occur in other forms as well (e.g., interpersonal kindness, high-quality connections, virtuous actions).² Logically this makes sense. If we consider evolutionary processes, we observe that every species over time is attracted to that which enhances life and avoids or is repelled by that which diminishes or detracts from life.

This principle has enormous implications. It affects the way we rear our children, the type of incentive systems we put in place in our organizations, the kinds of relationships we form with our employees and acquaintances, and the behaviors we demonstrate in turbulent and trying times. Because it is universal and unwavering, the heliotropic effect provides a constant anchor by which we can navigate changing conditions.

The remainder of this chapter provides an explanation of the heliotropic effect and some of the empirical evidence that confirms its importance and universality in human beings. The concept of positive energy, and, in particular, the kind of energy that is associated with effective leadership, is then explained.

THE HELIOTROPIC EFFECT

The heliotropic effect and the phototropic effect are similar. Both describe a tendency of all living things to orient themselves toward light—or toward life-giving energy. Einstein equated light and energy by stating that light is simply nature’s way of transferring energy through space.³ Florence Nightingale famously stated, “It is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick, that second only to their need for fresh air is their need of light … and it is not only light but direct sun-light that they want.… People think that the effect is upon their spirits only. This is by no means the case. The sun is not only a painter but a sculptor.”⁴ Abundant scientific evidence confirms that human beings orient themselves toward light and that light provides life-giving energy.

This empirical evidence comes from a variety of sources. The phenomenon was first studied in 1832 by A.P. de Candolle and then by Charles Darwin and George John Romanes in the 1890s. They limited their studies primarily to plants and mammals.⁵ Studies of insects as well as a wide variety of forms of animal life subsequently demonstrated that these species also universally orient themselves toward light.⁶ This tendency is explained by an innate photochemical reaction that exists in living creatures at the cellular level.⁷

For example, when light enters the eye and hits the retina and the rod and cone cells within it, the light is converted to electrical energy, which produces a visual experience.⁸ This energy is transmitted to cells in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SNC), which regulates our biological clock. The SNC is part of the hypothalamus, and together they regulate hunger, thirst, sleep, hormones, and the nervous system.⁹

Light turns on chemical reactions within all living organisms, and so our bodies are dependent on light for life-giving energy.¹⁰ These same sensitivities to light exist within the individual cells and proteins in our own bodies. Research has shown that our bodies are filled with numerous light-sensitive chemical switches and amplifiers.¹¹ Even single-cell organisms without eyes have light-sensitive molecules on their outer membranes that supply them with energy. Human encounters with light, however, are more than skin-deep, and the human body is not a darkened cavern. Instead, light plays an important role within the body.

For example, cytochrome explains how lasers can heal so many different conditions. Cytochrome converts light from the sun into energy for the cells. Most of the photons are absorbed by the energy powerhouses within the cells—the mitochondria—so that as the sun’s photons pass through the membranes and come in contact with the cytochrome, they are absorbed and stimulate the creation of a molecule that stores energy in our cells. This molecule, called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), is like a battery, providing energy for the cell’s work. ATP can also provide energy that is used by the immune systems and for cellular repair, increase the use of oxygen, improve blood circulation, and stimulate the growth of new blood vessels.¹²

Michael Hamblin at the Harvard Medical School has produced scores of studies showing how light not only produces life-giving energy for the body but also can be used to destroy cancer cells, repair athletic injuries, overcome traumatic brain injury, treat dementia, and promote significant wound healing.¹³

This relationship between light and the heliotropic effect was known by the ancients, and Egyptian, Greek, Indian, and Buddhist healers all used systematic exposure to the sun to foster healing. It was rediscovered in 2005, for example, that putting patients recovering from surgery in a sunlit room (as opposed to an artificially lit room) significantly decreased their pain. Exposure to full-spectrum light was found to be as effective as medication for some depressed patients, with fewer side effects.¹⁴

Moreover, light has been found to be the key factor in regulating the human body’s circadian system, or the internal clock that keeps the body synchronized with the 24-hour solar day. The circadian system is responsible for a range of bodily functions and for regulating key hormones, including those that control sleep (melatonin), hunger (leptin), and the ability to feel satiated (grenhlin). Disrupted circadian rhythms lead to poor sleep and to a variety of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a number of cancers.¹⁵ Physiologically speaking, evidence suggests that human beings are dependent on and are inherently inclined toward light and toward the resultant positive energy to thrive. The heliotropic effect explains why human beings are so affected by positive energy.

FORMS OF ENERGY

In addition to its connection with light, positive energy is also a product of other sources. My colleague Wayne Baker has published an excellent summary of the energy literature in which he discusses several different kinds of energy.¹⁶ Energy, he suggests, has been used synonymously with a variety of similar concepts such as arousal, positive affect, zest, and vitality. He indicates that in physics, biology, and chemistry, energy is defined as the capacity to do work, and this designation has been applied to human behavior as well. Energy has traditionally been equated with the capacity to do work.

Colleagues Ryan Quinn, Gretchen Spreitzer, and Chak Fu Lam differentiated the capacity to do work, however, from another form of energy that is not necessarily related to taking action.¹⁷ They classified energy as being in one of two forms: (1) activation potential, or the capacity to do work, and (2) energetic stimulation, or the feeling of aliveness, enthusiasm, and vitality.

The first form of energy—activation potential—is associated with the amount of glucose/glycogen and ATP in the body.¹⁸ This form of energy is a resource that may be increased or depleted. A great deal of advertising, for example, focuses on helping people feel more energized by working out on exercise equipment, eating a healthy diet, losing weight, taking nutritional supplements, and so forth. Usually, this form of energy diminishes as it is expended. Someone who runs a marathon will become fatigued and will need recovery time. Physical energy wanes.

Similarly, someone who engages in an argument, cheers at an athletic contest, or gets reprimanded by a boss will deplete his or her emotional energy. A break is most often needed in order to recover. Emotional energy is reduced with its expenditure over time.

Someone who studies all weekend for an exam, intensely concentrates on memorizing difficult material, and works to figure out a complex computational problem will become exhausted and will need some time to recuperate. Mental energy diminishes over time with use. Each of these types of energy—physical, emotional, and mental—is an example of the first form of energy: activation potential. They are resources that diminish with use because glucose/glycogen and ATP become depleted as they are expended.

The second form of energy—energetic stimulation—is not an accumulated resource but a state of being or a feeling of affective arousal. It is experienced as inspired emotions and positive feelings.¹⁹ Relational energy is an example of this second form of energy. Relational energy refers to the energy that is associated with interpersonal interactions. Unlike other forms of energy, it usually elevates or intensifies when it is exhibited. For example, we seldom become exhausted by being around people with whom we have loving, supportive relationships. We are seldom, if ever, depleted by people with whom we have trusting, caring, tender connections. In fact, we often seek out individuals who love us and whom we love in order to become renewed and energized. In other words, relational energy is self-enhancing and self-renewing.

A variety of studies demonstrate that experiencing positive relational energy lengthens life, and that people are two to four times more likely to die at an earlier age if they do not consistently experience relational energy.²⁰ Positive relational energy is a better predictor of long-term health and mortality than factors such as smoking, excessive drinking, and obesity.²¹

Employees’ performance at work is also significantly enhanced by relational energy because individuals are more likely to seek out and share information and resources with positive energizers. Positive relational energy is also effective in increasing the performance of individual employees when it is demonstrated by leaders.²² In addition, it is the kind of energy that differentiates especially effective leaders from others. Successful leaders are almost always positive energizers.

One reason positive relational energy is so important for leaders is aptly described by a friend, Toshi Harada, who serves as a senior executive in the world’s largest wheel manufacturer. Toshi is a strong advocate of positive relational energy in leadership. Here is his explanation of its importance:

One of the basics of Japanese manufacturing principles is to eliminate or minimize the waste in the manufacturing process. What I’m finding is that negatively energizing leaders are creating significant waste in the organization. For example, think of a traveler on the street in the winter of Michigan. If a cold wind blows to the traveler, he wears more clothes on [sic]. And, when negative leaders try to create results by pointing out the weaknesses of the people and rely on punishment, a similar thing happens. People are going to close their minds. So, negatively energizing leaders can reach some short-term results. But when the team members close their minds, those short-term oriented results cannot be sustained. So it’s going to be a roller coaster—up and down, up and down. In order for us to have long-term sustaining improvement, we really need to have positive energizing leaders.²³

Positive energy, in other words, is both efficient and effective in producing desirable results when demonstrated by leaders.

Individuals do not express these various types of energy in a completely independent way, of course. In many activities, individuals may demonstrate several kinds of energy at the same time. A caregiver who homeschools and organizes activities for children all day during a COVID-19 isolation period, for example, may find these tasks physically and emotionally exhausting. More than one kind of energy will be expended and diminished at the same time. However, when these same children snuggle up for a bedtime story at the end of the day, the elevation in relational energy creates renewal. Relational energy is a self-enhancing energetic stimulation.

ENERGY, INFLUENCE, EXTROVERSION, AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

In the scholarly literature, positive energy is sometimes confused with other concepts such as influence, extroversion, or intrinsic motivation.²⁴ Important differences exist, however, among these various concepts. For instance, influence is usually defined in terms of the ability to get other people to do or believe what you want them to do or believe.²⁵ The vast majority of the leadership literature equates leadership and influence. If yo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction: Leading through Positive Relational Energy
• 1 Forms of Energy and the Heliotropic Effect
• 2 Positive Energy in Organizations
• 3 Attributes of Positively Energizing Leaders
• 4 Developing Positively Energizing Leadership
• 5 Examples of Positively Energizing Leadership
• 6 Yeah, Buts: Objections and Responses
• Conclusion: Principles and Action Implications
• Resources
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About the Author