In my work with organizations across industries, I’ve witnessed a common, costly dynamic: employees spending more energy protecting themselves than contributing their best ideas and efforts. When leaders create emotionally unsafe environments, they unwittingly shift employees’ focus away from meaningful work toward constant vigilance – scanning for threats to their reputation, security, or well-being.
As I write in Shifting the Energy:
“Bad bosses erode the primary resource required to perform the work: energy.”
The consequences of depleted energy aren’t just lower productivity – the ripple effects include higher turnover, stalled innovation, and increased health risks for employees. Fear, frustration, and uncertainty burn through energy rapidly. Over time, this state of chronic stress can lead to depression, burnout, disengagement, and serious medical issues.
The Two Questions Every Leader Should Ask
To break this cycle and energize your teams, assess these two critical dimensions:
1 – Are people willing to contribute?
Willingness comes from trust. Employees must believe their efforts are valued, colleagues and leaders are looking out for them, and that they won’t be punished for taking initiative or speaking up. If they feel exploited or unappreciated, they naturally withhold energy – not because they’re immature or lazy, but for self-preservation.
Leaders can build willingness by:
- Creating a friendly, respectful environment where everyone feels appreciated and confident that they’re being treated fairly.
- Practicing open communication that is honest, considerate, and welcomes employees’ input and perspectives.
- Viewing employees as colleagues you’re glad to have instead of human capital to be managed or controlled.
2 – Are people able to contribute?
Ability is about resources. Even motivated employees can’t succeed if they’re understaffed, lack training, or have to wrestle with broken processes. Unrealistic expectations, unclear approval channels, or restrictive micromanagement undermine their capacity to perform.
Leaders can increase ability by:
- Clarifying priorities and responsibilities.
- Streamlining approvals and processes to remove unnecessary roadblocks.
- Equipping teams with the right tools and training – and trusting them to use them wisely.
When willingness and ability are both high, energy is directed where it belongs: innovation, contribution, advocating for the company, and achieving remarkable results.
Start Small, Change Big
This week, try a brief, confidential listening session with team members. Ask:
- What helps you do your best work here?
- What gets in the way?
- What’s one change that would make your job easier or more meaningful?
Then take swift, visible action on something you hear. I highly recommend collaborating with team members to revise one process or procedure everyone dreads. It’s one of the fastest ways to signal that you value both your people’s energy and their perspective – and that you’re committed to creating a culture where they can thrive.
Want more strategies like this? Get your copy of Shifting the Energy to learn proven approaches for transforming disengaged cultures into energized, high-performing teams.
About the Author
Jessica Walter is a strategy partner and trusted advisor to senior executives looking to create energized, high-performing teams. With 20+ years in executive industry leadership and consulting, she specializes in uncovering the root causes of culture, engagement, change management, and communication challenges and crafting actionable strategies to drive sustainable turnarounds.
Author of Shifting the Energy: How Love Leads Remarkable Teams, Jessica has guided more than 30 organizations through complex culture shifts and shared insights from research involving over 200,000 employees. Her work has been featured at leadership and psychology conferences and in publications like HR Director and Training Magazine.
Jessica holds a master’s in Leadership and Business Ethics from Duquesne, studied Executive Influence at Wharton, earned a bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Towson, and maintains multiple certifications in coaching and organizational assessments. Based near Gettysburg, PA, she is the proud mom of a former U.S. Army Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.
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