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Sandy Ogg March 13 2018 3 min read

Dos & Don’ts: Energy

Do you know what the secret ingredient is in every Mobilization success story?

You, the CEO.

KNOW You are taking people somewhere they have never been before. You have to bring them with you. You design and optimize the flow of energy into, through and out of your company. And you discern where and when to influence that flow to maintain their energy for what needs to be done. Without critical infusions of your energy at exactly the right time, in the right amount at the right place, Mobilization can stall out.

DO Start with yourself. Recalibrate your calendar to focus on your strategic choices and key initiatives. Design in time for refueling.

Your job here is to look for any leaks or holes in the ecosystem of which your company is a part and apply energy to fixing them. Clear up any energy leaks and energy blocks wherever you find them, both inside and outside company walls. Keep things flowing smoothly between your leadership team and Board members. Monitor consumer and analyst reports for trouble spots. Track your brand on social media to identify what needs to be said, where and when.

KNOW There are two things to watch out for here: poor responsiveness and overexertion.

You don’t want to be trying to influence the flow of energy in your ecosystem too late. Create direct feedback loops using SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud) so employees and stakeholders can bring their concerns directly to you in real time. Build a reputation for acting on complaints promptly and responding to crises quickly. Monitor how this improved responsiveness impacts your credibility and your brand.

Having the freedom to do the work you love comes with the danger of overexertion. Your calendar cannot be in charge of you. Run yourself ragged and you are doing no one a favor, least of all your company. Personal sustainability is imperative. Make sure you have energy to spare so that you can give it—both at work and at home. Let’s be clear here. You are not managing your brand and your personal energy to run for office. This is about setting things up so you and everyone in your company can run hard and fast to achieve that bold ambition.

DON’T Assume everyone will be ready to run with you.

In the end, Mobilization isn’t a popularity contest.

It is business.

Want to learn more about energy and how successful CEOs maintain it during Mobilization? Check out /move: The CEO's Playbook for Capturing Value.

 
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Sandy Ogg

CEO.works’ founder, Sandy Ogg has spend 30+ years working and learning with CEOs around the world. His experience and the insights he’s gained through this work have informed the CEO.works methodology.