There’s a difference between leaders who drain energy from a room and those who generate it.
It starts with a question most leaders rarely ask themselves:
Where am I right now?
Not your calendar. Not your to-do list. You.
At any moment, you’re either:
- Above the line – curious, clear, resourceful, energized
- Below the line – defensive, reactive, stressed, proving you’re right
There’s a video I share with executives that gets past their usual armor.
Not because it’s complex – because it’s uncomfortably accurate.
It’s called Locating Yourself – A Key to Conscious Leadership.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Where you are becomes everyone else’s experience of working with you.
Leaders above the line create possibility.
Leaders below the line create problems.
The difference between a meeting that sparks breakthrough thinking and one that leaves everyone drained?
Often, it’s simply the state of mind of the person running it.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
We all move above and below the line throughout the day. The power isn’t in never going below – it’s in catching yourself when you do.When I’m grouchy or upset, I’ve trained myself (most days!) to take a few deep breaths, take a walk, or reset my body before I connect with anyone.Because one thing I know for sure: my energy impacts everything and everyone I interact with.
Think about the last conversation you had that didn’t go well.
I’m willing to bet you were below the line when it started.
And this is the key:
You can’t know your location without knowing your state of mind first.
Once you notice, you get to choose what happens next.
So, my question for you:
If you checked in with yourself right now – really checked in – where are you?
Comment and let me know. Sometimes just naming it shifts everything.
