Listen to Energy Leadership Index (ELI): 7 levels of Energy Explained

00:04 

Hey there and welcome. Are you a woman who is unapologetically ambitious, but you're also deeply focused on honoring God, loving your family well and pursuing meaningful work? Well, you've come to the right place. My name is Dana Byers and you and I are going to be fast friends. Let's get started.  

 

00:29 

Hey there. Before we get started today, I wanna take just a moment to share with you a recent podcast review. Dana handles topics that can trip up Christian women with confidence and calm. Thank you. This is very refreshing and very helpful. That is a podcast review from Trail Guide Webworks, and I'm so grateful for it. If this podcast has really helped you, please take a moment, leave me a five star review so that other people can find this podcast as well. Hi there everyone. Welcome to been there, learned that this is a bit of a capstone episode. If you've missed a couple episodes, go back and listen to them. But I think this is one that you were going to want to highlight. Hopefully you'll listen to it in full right now, but hopefully it's something that you can come back to as a resource as well.  

 

01:24 

I want to give you an overview of a powerful coaching tool that I love to use with my clients. And I realized I've been intending to do this for a while, and all of a sudden here we are recording Episode 35. Oh my goodness. Look how far we have come in such a short time. Friends. Also, I happen to have the thought. I'll admit like, oh my gosh, how did we get 35 episodes in? And I haven't really shared about this yet, so I'm excited to pass on to you something that I have learned. I have been there, I have learned this. I have been employing this tool in my life for several years now. So first, I wanna say thanks to all of you who have reached out to me to introduce yourself as you're becoming acquainted with the Been There learns that podcast, and now we're seeing an increase in our listeners as as we round the corner on episode 35.  

 

02:19 

It seems really like an ideal time to give you a better understanding. One of my background that got me to where I am today as a certified life coach, but also an introduction to this powerful tool that I use with all of my clients. So really, I have really a diverse and impactful career that it spans nonprofit leadership, professional corporate work, church leadership. I've led in some really complex roles that I'm so grateful for those opportunities being an executive pastor, being a teaching pastor, leading the human resources team for a very large church. At the same time, my husband and I have also had the privilege over the years of playing key volunteer roles in small businesses, in small church plants, both in the United States and overseas. But one of my most rewarding career experiences where I really developed a passion for coaching and developing women was when I was working in social work with women who were coming out of addictions through like a transitional housing program to help them increase their likelihoods for maintaining sobriety and also retaining custody of their children.  

 

03:29 

It was such a rewarding experience. And looking back, I can see that God really used that experience to develop me, to have a strong interest and passion for what I get to do today, which is to help working women who follow Jesus, to help them live empowered lives, to know God better, to bring him glory and to have energy that is authentic to show up in their lives. You may not know that I'm recognized as a bit of a pioneer in what is now called the Church Online Movement. So together with my husband, we planted the first online churches outside of America back in 2009. We started that process in 2007. We were raising our family overseas, and it was really a life-changing opportunity to help us significantly expand global evangelistic reach and impact through the internet, but also to learn how to build holistic biblical community and connect in person with our neighbors.  

 

04:29 

So today, I'm the CEO of Dana Bys coaching, and I take all of those great experiences that God's given me, and I've created a business model, but a specifically tailored to helping women probably just like you, women who are working outside of the home and women who follow Jesus. And I wanna help you achieve lasting results, both at work and in your home. And I want you to do that without burning out. And the reason I say that is because I used to not think that was possible. I used to think that the list of things I just shared with you from sort of my resume, if you will, that I could only do those things if I sacrificed myself all the time. And you see my work, including this very podcast that you're listening to right now, it is driven by a deep commitment to empowering women through practical faith-based strategies to help you lead yourself to personal and professional success.  

 

05:22 

So it's really such a joy to me to get to provide you this weekly insight and support through the podcast. And of course, my email list, if you're not on my email list, go to dana buyers coaching.com and you can sign up. So as I talk to you a little bit more about my background, I, I wanna use that to help us transition into just saying, of course, like I said, what a joy it is to get to do this, but also to get a little bit more granular, to be a little bit more specific with you about what it looks like to work with me and the value I focus on providing my clients. So I'm gonna share with you about a transformational tool that really helped me navigate this career journey that I've just shared with you. And this tool is called the Energy Leadership Index Assessment or the ELI.  

 

06:09 

So even though a lot of success and and great experiences and opportunities have come my way, so has a lot of stress and burnout in those beautiful opportunities. I often found myself feeling alone. I struggled to navigate the pressures of ministry work, raising a family, having a godly marriage, and caring for myself. It's even a little funny to think about the fact that I just went through this list in my brain of all the things I've had responsibility for. And the last thing I mentioned was caring for myself. There's no mistake in that. I think it's easy for all of us to put ourselves last and we think we're being benevolent, but if we do that long enough, we wind up coming in last. We come in last in our lives. And when that happens, we don't get to show up with authentic energy. We don't get to show up the way that we want to for the opportunities that God has given us.  

 

07:03 

So for me, after experiencing the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional burnout, after experiencing that a few times over the course of 10 years of my life, I eventually hired a coach and she introduced me to the Energy Leadership Index or the ELI. So that experience was really the end of my burnout journey. That was around 20 16 20 17. It was the end of my burnout journey, and it was the beginning of my focus on continual personal growth, the beginning of a journey of personal development towards having proper energy management to not only keep from burning out, but also to enjoy my life. I'm sure if you're listening to this, you've had seasons where maybe you thought to yourself, gosh, I would just really like to enjoy my life right now. And if you're saying that I hear you, I wanna validate that for you. I wouldn't say it's biblical for us to have the best day of our life every day.  

 

08:02 

That's not a fair expectation. But I would say that you are capable of having enjoyment, of having joy in your life regardless of circumstances if you are able to understand how to properly and authentically manage your physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional energy. So I think some of you listening to this can probably really relate to my story already to some degree. So I can't wait to tell you more about the Energy Leadership Index. And first I want you to know that after my coach gave me that Energy Leadership Index, it was just really a journey that I began. That's all I ask of my clients when they go through this assessment. I was so impacted by that. I chose to move forward and become a certified master practitioner in the ELII was certified by the Institute for Professional Excellence and Coaching. So everything that I'm sharing now in this podcast episode is my interpretation of the training that they provided me.  

 

09:02 

So we're going to talk a little bit about understanding, just kind of from a high level energy leadership and understanding the benefits of it, and then we'll talk a little bit about how you can get your own Energy Leadership Index if you're interested. So first I'd like to point out that the Energy Leadership Index is different probably than a lot of assessments you've taken, and that is because it's an attitudinal assessment. An attitudinal assessment means that it is something that can change over time. You might have taken assessments before that are quite good, but may feel a little bit like they pigeonhole you like, okay, this is who you are. We have defined you. You are in a bucket. This is not what the ELI is because it's attitudinal, it can change over time. So for example, my Energy Leadership Index Score, my ELI, it has increased over time and it shifted as my emotional intelligence and my capacity to become self-aware, my ability to process emotions, my ability to navigate stress and boundaries.  

 

10:06 

As that has improved over the years, my Energy Leadership Index score has increased or improved. That's because it's attitudinal. Whatever assessment score you receive, one of course is confidential, but two is something that is a baseline. It's a starting place. It's not a place of shame. It just lets you know how you're showing up right now. And it gives you an opportunity to opportunity develop in the areas of the pain points of your life where energy is draining from your life so that you can feel yourself improving overall in your energy leadership and your energy management. So some of the very specific benefits that my clients receive when they get back their Energy Leadership assessment results, they get personal, very personalized results back. I've heard them say it's helped them increase their confidence, a sense of purpose, and just getting up and going every day.  

 

10:56 

And they feel more energetic about, you know, not just mentally showing up maybe to work or to some difficult relationships, but also spiritually energized. They are more hopeful and optimistic. They see God at work more around them, and they see opportunities where they're actually empowered to take action or not take action based upon their understanding of how they want to show up in different circumstances in their lives. So the results that are given in assessment report, they're gonna point out the areas for improvement so that you can approach the stress in your life and really in your life in general, in a healthier way that is less draining for you. So right now, I wanna walk through some things. You're gonna learn about the, just kind of the broad level of the Energy Leadership Index. And that is that there are seven levels of energy that we look at.  

 

11:49 

So when I'm talking about energy, I'm not meaning, you know, woo woo, broad energy. I mean literally how you are showing up the way you express yourself, the way others experience you, and maybe even how you're feeling or the thoughts you're having at each of these seven levels of energy. But what you need to know first is that there are two types of energy. Now, there's seven levels of energy, but there's two very specific types of energy. You need to know that first there is anabolic energy and there is catabolic energy. You're actually probably very familiar with catabolic energy. You may not even know it, but you are. So a a catabolic energy example would be maybe a liter who is always in a bad mood, who's creating tension when he or she shows up to a meeting. That's catabolic energy. You might have a teenager or a loved one.  

 

12:41 

Often people who are experiencing significant pain in their lives, whether or not they know it, they're bringing catabolic draining energy to every scenario they walk into. It is an energy, if it's catabolic, it's where someone is really engrossed in worry, frustration, and blame. And it can be destructive if it's left unchecked, it can create toxic toxicity and a family or a work environment. But by contrast, anabolic energy is the other type. And anabolic energy is very constructive. It fuels your creativity. So if someone is very anabolic, they have the ability to motivate and inspire others to do extraordinary things, they can influence positive outcomes at work and at home, and they can create incredible changes within their personal life, maybe with health or financial goals, or maybe they could bring incredible change to the team that they're part of at work. So keep in mind, there's both catabolic energy and anabolic energy.  

 

13:43 

So now I'm gonna talk to you about these seven levels of energy. And this is information I'm getting directly from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, who certified me. And we're just gonna take a broad glance at the energy levels. And first of all, I want you to know that your energy influences how you act because it comes through the lens or the perspective through which you perceive the world. So whenever you take an energy Leadership index assessment, you get back results that help you see broadly the perspective or perception you have on the world and how that impacts the way that you're showing up and how that impacts the experience of stress you may or may not have in various circumstances. So for example, if you go to an event after a long hard day at work, it might not be the same experience for you as it would be if you were going after a vacation.  

 

14:38 

You know, I had one of my clients say to me, I usually love putting my kids down for bedtime. We'll have a long bath, I'll give them a long bath, we'll read a couple books to them. And she said she usually really enjoys that. But if it's been a stressful day at work, she notices, she shows up at a different energy level, and it's just hard for her to be as enthusiastic about that time because her mind is somewhere else. I can completely relate to what she shared with me, I'm sure you can too. So when we talk about these seven different energy levels, we're using them to describe the type of energy you experience and express. So here's how someone experiencing maybe each of the seven levels of energy might react in a situation if they're on a team, let's say, with a coworker who's very forceful and directive.  

 

15:25 

So as I go through these examples in this scenario, imagine that you are on a team with a coworker. Let's put you in the hot seat here. Just imagine you're on a team with someone who is very forceful and directive. I know that might not be difficult for some of you to imagine. You might literally be living that scenario right now. If so, this is for you. Okay? So if you're in that scenario, you have a team or a coworker who's very forceful and directive. If you're experiencing level one energy, it's extremely catabolic. You feel that you have a lack of choice, it's a draining energy. You might have a victim mentality. You might be thinking or saying, I can't, I feel like I have to do this. I don't want to do this. You might even be fearful about something. There might, it might be a little bit threatening to you, you might say, or think something like, I am so upset.  

 

16:15 

It's like, I don't even exist to this person. They literally ignore me. So that level one is kind of that victim mindset. If you're still in the same scenario and you're experiencing level two energy, this is where anger comes in. So it's still catabolic for you, it's still draining. You might even be combative, you might be resisting or feeling like you want to fight. You might be arguing with that coworker, or you might be digging in your heels saying, Nope, I'm not willing to follow you at level two Energy. You might be thinking, you know what, I'm just gonna tell this person off. I'm so mad I have had enough. And at level three, this is an interesting energy level because of the seven energy levels, it kind of has a foot in both worlds. Level three is a little bit catabolic, a little bit draining, and a little bit anabolic, which is healing or improving or a little bit more optimistic.  

 

17:09 

So at level three, we have a foot in both worlds, if you will. And when we're there, our behavior is rationalizing. It's sort of like, you know what, this is fine. You know, whenever you hear someone say it is what it is, and they're, and they're kind of maybe dismissive, they might say something like, it's okay, they've been here a long time, they are on my team. I guess I will just deal with it. A lot of rationalization in level three. So they're, they're taking some responsibility, maybe not for the actions, but they're accepting it somewhat. Well, you can move up to a level four, which is much more anabolic and not catabolic at all. And that is when we get to a place of care and compassion, we might even have interest in serving others. A lot of people I've met who are, you know, they love to volunteer at their kids' schools, they love to volunteer at their church.  

 

17:59 

They've spent a lot of time and level four energy. And they might be thinking something along the lines. Again, if they're in this environment where they've got a coworker who's forceful or directive, if they're an experiencing level four energy, they're thinking, you know what, okay, let's be honest. I really want the best for them and I want the best for the team. I have decided that I am happy to support them in any way I can. So they're becoming much more agreeable, but they're really trying to get a win for that other person. They want that other person to be able to get what they need or want in that environment. So they're letting go maybe of some of their ego and a lot of their own self-interest to help someone at Level Four Energy. Now, if they're at Level five Energy and they're experiencing a very forceful, direct, full, excuse me, directive coworker at Level Five Energy, they're looking not just for the other person to win, but they're looking for a win for themselves.  

 

18:53 

Level five is a point of reconciliation where we identify what would be a win for you and what would be a win. For me, a person in this scenario is trying to identify how can I help this coworker who was forceful? How can I help them win? But how can I also not sacrifice myself too much here? What would a win look like for me? And they recognize at level five that there's not really any good or bad, right or wrong, they've pulled out some of that judgment and they're just open to reconciliation. And if they're at level five, they might say something to this forceful coworker such as, what is the opportunity here? How could we both win in this scenario? And that's a beautiful statement, that level five energy is kind of the ideal leadership energy in my perspective. I'd love to try to work on this in my business with my clients, but also in my personal relationships.  

 

19:46 

Not because things always have to be equal, equal, that's not true. But because I want to make sure that I'm living my life sustainably so that I'm not always coming up short, but I do give myself opportunities to experience wins so that I don't find myself in a place of burning out. So if you're back in that scenario where you're on a team with a coworker who's really forceful or directive, here's what level six energy would look like. Level six energy kind of leaves kind of in a, a self-awareness that kind of leaves any sense of ego and it starts moving towards consciousness. If you, you know, as someone who probably follows Jesus, like me, we at Level six start thinking, oh, you know what? Maybe I should invite God into this scenario. We invite the Holy Spirit in. We start looking for Godly wisdom and intuition at Level six, our creative genius unlocks.  

 

20:43 

We're able to do that because we're not just so focused on getting tasks done, but we enter the space of a brilliant visionary. We get creative, we solve problems, and we do in a way that doesn't burn ourselves out. We can realize there that everyone has value and purpose and that we are interconnected and we can partner together, we can work together to honor God, but also to reach the outcome that helps us both win. But that helps us do more than we imagined. I'd like to think of level six as sort of a multiplier level, if you will. You know, where one plus one practically equals two. But when we're looking at level six, and then we'll talk about level seven here in a minute, one plus one equals so much more. It's when people come together, use their creative genius, and God works in the middle of that to bring about an even better result.  

 

21:33 

And then level seven is, whenever we have complete passion for all aspects of life, regardless of anyone's spirituality, someone might call it oneness. For me, as a follower of Jesus, I like to think of this as unity. I like to think of it as being connected with God. You know, I, when I'm at Level seven energy, it might be a moment of worship. I had a client tell me she experienced level seven energy when she was out in nature just connecting with God. It was just complete compassion and gratitude. She had joy in even a difficult season of her life. And in all the situations she was facing, not because she wasn't facing the truth, but because she was still able to experience God in that season, she was still able to experience level seven energy. So you might notice, as I mentioned, that level one and two, they're catabolic energies and they don't necessarily bring about the greatest results in our life.  

 

22:29 

I wanna make sure you know that there's not really a good or bad energy per se. Each type of energy has inherent advantages and disadvantages. And whenever I walk my clients through the debrief of their Energy Leadership Index assessments, they learn about the advantage and disadvantage of every one of those energy levels and how they can consciously navigate those different energy levels to show up in the way that would be best in each given scenario, so that they're empowered to take appropriate action to move towards the best results that they're able to contribute to. And I also wanna point out here, it's very normal for us to cycle up and down the spectrum of seven energy levels. It would be very unusual to hang out in one level all the time. For example, I don't find myself angry all the time, but I was cut off in traffic this morning and I experienced a moment of deep frustration.  

 

23:19 

We will say that, okay, but I didn't stay there long. You know, the moment passed. And also with level seven energy, when I connect to God, I would not say that last all week long. I might have a really sweet moment connecting with him in morning prayer or maybe over the weekend at church, but that does not last all week long, right? Life keeps happening. So when we learn these seven levels of energy, we learn how to navigate them to not have unfair expectations for ourself, but to bring awareness to where we're at, why we're there, and how we can invite God in to help us shift our energy, if you will, so that we can show up in a way that gets better results that honors God, but also honors the relationships that we are in. So that's a very brief overview of what the seven levels of energy are like.  

 

24:10 

And then of course, catabolic and anabolic energy. And I wanted to share that with you because I think that Understanding Once Energy Leadership Index really helps them unlock a new potential. And what I'm saying by that is it allows them to do at least what happened for me, I can share my story. And that is that I wasn't, I was in a habit of burning out consistently, and I'm not talking burning out like I needed to couple days off, I would say at least two of the times I burned out, it took me nearly a year to recover That was asking too much of myself. I had to learn to reassess my approach to all the great opportunities God had given me to raising my incredible kids, to being in a great marriage, to loving my neighbors, to being involved in my work in a way that didn't drain me.  

 

25:01 

So while I still have draining experiences, the more time I spend under understanding how I'm showing up, it has really served me so well. And that is why even though my business is about three years old now, I haven't offered the Energy Leadership Index anything. I haven't required it with any of my clients, but I've offered it as an a la carte item. Well, I made a shift a few months ago to create what I believe is a no-brainer offer, and to include the Energy Leadership Index assessment with every purchase of my one offer, which is the 10 hour Confidence transformation. So the Energy Leadership Index Assessment is a $297 assessment that is included free with the purchase of my 10 hour Confidence Transformation course. And here's the kicker, the 10 Hour Confidence Transformation course doesn't cost as much as an ELI. So you are getting massive value and self-awareness whenever you join my program.  

 

25:57 

So I created this offer, like I said, to be a no-brainer because you're going to increase your confidence in less than 10 hours. With my On-Demand Video course, you are going to get access to a monthly group coaching call where you can show up if you want. It's optional, but I'll be there. You can show up and be coached by me personally and be part of our community. And then you're also going to get your personalized results from your ELI assessment. And all of this is for one low price. If you are interested in this, I would love to have you as part of our community. Details are@danabyerscoaching.com slash get coached, and I wanna take a moment and point out if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I really love making myself available to people who are listening to the podcast, reading my emails.  

 

26:45 

All you have to do is email me at Dana, at Dana by coaching.com. I would love to hear, I would love to hear from you, but I would also love to help you. So reach out to me, it would be great to get to know you better, and I will see you on the next episode. Are you a Christian working woman who is looking to boost your confidence and transform your life? Well, I have got just the thing for you, my online course. The 10 hour Confidence Transformation is available now. This course is designed to fit into your busy schedule and provide you with actionable strategies to increase your confidence. Plus, with your purchase, you will get access to a private monthly group coaching call where we can connect and grow together. Get all the details right now at dana buyer's coaching.com.