What does it cost you to lead the way you do? ‘The leader with the most flexibility wins’ is a mantra I offer leaders at the beginning of a Team Motivational Map workshop.
I recently reconnected with a leadership team I worked with two months ago. At the start of their Fearless Leadership® program, we explored the concept of energetic cost — the invisible toll we pay when we lead in ways that sit outside our natural preferences.
It’s a key idea I come back to often: great leaders build behavioural flexibility. We learn to adapt our style to meet people where they’re at – and then lead them toward where they need to be. That’s influence. That’s leadership.
But that flexibility has a price.
When we consistently operate outside our preferences – or in a culture that doesn’t align with our values – we burn energy. Sometimes that cost is worth it. Other times, it’s a warning sign something needs to shift.
One of the leaders shared that this idea had stuck with him. Over the past eight weeks, he’s kept asking himself, ‘What’s the energetic cost of the way I’m behaving right now?’ It’s become a powerful personal checkpoint.
That question creates space for awareness. And awareness opens the door to intentional choice, to flex when it matters, and to return to alignment when possible.
So let me ask you:
- Where are you paying an energetic cost – without realising it?
- What’s one behaviour you’ve adopted that drains you?
- And just as importantly – where are you not shifting your style, even though you should?
Leadership isn’t about being rigid or reactive. It’s about knowing when to stretch, when to centre – and when to evolve.
Go Fearlessly – Corrinne
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