 The power of personal energy
Lizzie Wright
The
D
Visiting Lecturer,
The Praxis Centre
Power of
Personal
Energy
o you ever feel as if your
energy is draining away
from you and taking your
clarity and inspiration with it? Do you
wonder how to reclaim and rebuild it?
We all unconsciously sense the energetic
presence of a secure, powerful person and
intuitively know that their power comes
from within, but how do they command
that presence?
By understanding the ‘invisible language of
energy’ you can take control of your own
personal power which will allow you to
influence your success, particularly when
faced with challenging situations.
Without perhaps realising it, you are
constantly exchanging and reading other
people’s energy signals and this informs
the decisions and responses you make.
This is the ‘invisible language of energy’.
How you cope with any interaction
directly affects the strength and vitality of
your personal energy.
We all operate under the rules of
nature: just as a bird instinctively feels its
migratory route, and a shark senses the
signals of a weak fish and attacks, we make
unconscious decisions about each other.
We feel beneath the surface and sense
the ripples of fear, weakness or strength
that are being invisibly transmitted. These
messages directly affect our success
and influence. They act as a magnet for
positive or negative responses to our
underlying picture of energy.
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Management Focus | Autumn 2012
Personal power has nothing to do with
physical strength. If you look at the
masters of martial arts they are often
older men who have refined precise
movements that generate power and
flexibility. They have found the balance
between the physical challenges of
martial arts, and the need to find stillness
within themselves that guides them to a
continuous source of energy and power.
It is this combination that builds core
strength and agility. Learning to embrace
the simple lessons of martial arts can
enrich your leadership experience and
your enjoyment of interacting with others.
Martial arts teach you to become
conscious of the boundaries of space and
any threats to your energetic integrity.
You learn to feel a challenge or pressure
that impinges on your balance and to
deflect any negative influences with ease
and fluidity to maintain your posture and
strength. This level of awareness increases
your reflexes and allows you to centre
yourself quickly for effective action and
decision making.
Using a martial arts approach in business
gives you a sense of understanding and
strength. It teaches you to not just
‘square up’ to a challenge or task but
position yourself in a powerful, strategic
place, without the need for conflict and
disengagement. This harmonious strategy
allows you to assess the qualities and
difficulties of the task whilst remaining
alert to how you can influence the
outcome favourably.
Simple mindfulness techniques, such
as focussing on your breathing or
“You cannot find
inspiration and insight
from a loud brain - you
must create stillness in
order for creativity to rise.”
emptying your head of thoughts, can be
extraordinarily powerful for developing
self-awareness. They calm and regulate
the body and mind and allow you to
think differently. As neuroscientist David
Rock says: “You cannot find inspiration
and insight from a loud brain - you must
create stillness in order for creativity to
rise.” Inspiration can come out of this
stillness, and alignment.
At all times you must remain connected
to yourself and not allow encounters to
become unresolved or unclear. Instead
search for positive outcomes. This allows
you the space to stay in touch with your
personal truth and radiate a confidence
that inspires you and others.
You need to know how to stand your
ground and defend your space, but equally
you need to know how to protect and
take care of your inner self. If you spend
your life defending the boundaries of your
space and are never present in the ‘hall
of your own castle’, then you become an
empty vessel, that over time, forgets the
journey you have come to navigate. MF
Lizzie Wright is an energy coach who helps
business leaders to harness their personal
energies. She runs a 2 day course ‘The
Power of Personal Energy’ offered by the
Praxis Centre at Cranfield. More details are
available at www.som.cranfield.ac.uk
Management Focus | Autumn 2012
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