---
title: Leadership, Culture, Impact | Active Choices, Inc. | Anese Cavanaugh | The IEP Method® | Anese Cavanaugh (46)
description: Anese Cavanaugh is the creator of the IEP Method (Intentional Energetic Presence) as well as a leadership & collaboration advisor, strategist, and thinking partner for business leaders in the design, service and innovation spaces. Through her speaking, writing and creative leadership programs, people learn how to optimize their leadership and presence, bringing their best selves to the table for greater collaboration, impact, and cultural success. (46)
---

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# The Positive Energy Workplace

## Anese Cavanaugh

![](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/hubfs/Anese.png)

Anese Cavanaugh is the creator of the IEP Method (Intentional Energetic Presence) as well as a leadership & collaboration advisor, strategist, and thinking partner for business leaders in the design, service and innovation spaces. Through her speaking, writing and creative leadership programs, people learn how to optimize their leadership and presence, bringing their best selves to the table for greater collaboration, impact, and cultural success.

Find me on:

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/anesecavanaugh/>

### Recent Posts

October 25, 2012   by [Anese Cavanaugh](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh)

## ["Show up" for vulnerability...and let yourself be changed.](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/show-up-for-vulnerability-and-let-yourself-be-changed)

[![](http://www.anesecavanaugh.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Chicago-Run-300x224.jpg "Chicago Run")](http://www.anesecavanaugh.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Chicago-Run.jpg)Random things surprise me in the most random of places. This morning it was the power of a 4 minute conversation and some vulnerability with a perfect stranger...

[Read More ›](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/show-up-for-vulnerability-and-let-yourself-be-changed)

 In [Self-Awareness](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/self-awareness)/ [from Anese](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/from-anese)/ [Authenticity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/authenticity)

October 8, 2012   by [Anese Cavanaugh](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh)

## [The "number 1" most important quality in leadership - Part 2.](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/the-number-1-most-important-quality-in-leadership-part-2)

A couple of weeks ago I shared a word cloud that represented responses from a group of senior and executive leaders in one of my LinkedIn groups - **"The Design & Innovation Leaders Network: A Private Community Building Creative & Authentic Cultures"**. The actual query was *"What do you consider to be the #1 most important quality in leadership?"*

[Read More ›](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/the-number-1-most-important-quality-in-leadership-part-2)

 In [Collaboration](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/collaboration)/ [Creativity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/creativity)/ [from Anese](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/from-anese)/ [Leadership Tips](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/leadership-tips)/ [Organizational Culture](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/organizational-culture)/ [Authenticity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/authenticity)

September 13, 2012   by [Anese Cavanaugh](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh)

## [The "number 1" most important quality in leadership...](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/the-number-1-most-important-quality-in-leadership)

What do you consider to be the number 1, most important quality in leadership? If you could have only one quality, take only one quality "with you", what would it be? No right or wrong answers here, just curiosity. Whatever is true for you is what makes you...you.

[Read More ›](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/the-number-1-most-important-quality-in-leadership)

 In [Collaboration](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/collaboration)/ [Creativity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/creativity)/ [from Anese](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/from-anese)/ [Organizational Culture](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/organizational-culture)

September 12, 2012   by [Anese Cavanaugh](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh)

## [Environmental Success: What closets & CEOs have in common.](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/does-your-environment-set-you-up-for-success-what-closets-ceos-have-in-common)

[![](http://anesecavanaugh.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/table-top-fun-and-creativity-300x225.jpg "Stuff")](http://anesecavanaugh.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/table-top-fun-and-creativity.jpg) Stifling or thriving?

**Does your environment set you up for success?**

On a call with a client last week we worked to "unpack" some issues that were "stalling" her energy, impacting her influence with her team, and hindering their results. This "problem" honoring the rule of "ripple effects of a CEO's energy", was in fact creating ripple effects beyond her immediate team. Shift was in order, for sure. But...what shift?

At first glance, we figured it'd be a big complex problem that would need all sorts of strategy, wisdom, and tricks to fix. I put on my best thinking cap to address leadership and team dynamics. It wasn't necessary. The problem, as it so often is for so many of us, was actually...her. Hallelujah! (After all, much easier to "shift" outcomes when we "shift" ourselves first.) What a relief!

**After going through several issues we found that she had 3 immediately leverage-able actions - all starting with her:**

1. Clean out her closet & pantry. (Yes, her home closet and home pantry.)
2. Organize and re-boundary her calendar - creating a new system to help her "get in front of" the priorities of the week and the team.
3. Prioritize priorities using the "4D's" for every thing on her "to do" list. (Decide. Ditch. Do. Delegate.)

Doing these three things would actually give her back her "grounding", her energetic presence and awareness, a solid place to stand from to create clearer decisions, and a more powerful and authentic voice to craft clearer and more impactful communication. No need for a big overhaul. Just a "reboot". Her energy was kiddywampus, she was not "in front of things", she was constantly running to "catch up". No matter how GOOD she was at everything she did, if the energy underneath the action was not right, if she was not aligned, and if she didn't feel good, impact would be "off".

**From the energy of "kiddy-wampus"; clarity, presence, and power...suffer. Her team, and their results were reflecting this back to her.**

Numbers 2 and 3 maybe fairly self-explanatory...but number 1, which was actually her NEXT step, is the one I thought I'd put in your bonnet.

Why would a CEO of an organization need to spend time on her closet and her pantry? **Two words: Energy = Impact.**

[Read More ›](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/does-your-environment-set-you-up-for-success-what-closets-ceos-have-in-common)

 In [Self-Awareness](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/self-awareness)/ [from Anese](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/from-anese)/ [Energy Leadership](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/energy-leadership)/ [Leadership Tips](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/leadership-tips)/ [Authenticity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/authenticity)

August 13, 2012   by [Anese Cavanaugh](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh)

## [Creating space below the bar...a necessary leadership "evil"](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/creating-space-below-the-bar-a-necessary-leadership-evil)

A friend of mine came to my office today for a session to work on her business. We had 2 hours, she was 40 minutes late. When she got here she was harried, stressed, completely pressurized. When I asked her why she was so late (my irritated presence and energy doing nothing to help her), she burst into tears.

[Read More ›](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/from-anese/creating-space-below-the-bar-a-necessary-leadership-evil)

 In [Creativity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/creativity)/ [from Anese](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/from-anese)/ [Energy Leadership](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/energy-leadership)/ [Leadership Tips](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/leadership-tips)/ [Authenticity](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/authenticity)

[Previous](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh/page/45) [All posts](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/all) [Next](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/author/anese-cavanaugh/page/47)

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- [Leadership Tips (129)](https://blog.anesecavanaugh.com/topic/leadership-tips)
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© 2002-2026 Active choices, inc. | Anese Cavanaugh: Speaker. Author. Creator of the IEP Method®

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