You can do more than you think. Our brain has us default to energy-save mode. I believe most settle for average if we don’t surround ourselves with people to push us.
There are a lot of different emotions that can cause us to take it easy, along with other emotions that push us to our limit. My favorite, and I believe the best, teams have a culture of horizontal leadership. The Navy Seals, among many, use the buddy system in training as an example of this. If you lost your buddy-FAIL. It no longer matters if you yourself succeeded. This creates a team that doesn’t go it alone, and a team that requires everyone to push one another.
At BTL a litmus test for this kind of culture is whether or not an outsider can determine who the positional leader is. If an outsider can’t tell you who the leader is, then you passed. There should be curiosity and challenges from everyone if it will ever be a team of one.
If you want to get out of energy-save mode, ask for feedback. Ask to be held accountable to your PA’s. Push your team to get out of energy-save mode. Challenge them to push you, the leader. Embrace the arousal emotions that keep you and your team going.
BUILT TO LEAD 