The Positive Energy Workplace

Are you leading in a way that feels true to you?

In our recent Energy of Leadership — Live! session, we explored what authentic, lasting confidence in leadership really looks like — and what gets in the way.

One of the biggest takeaways?

Your confidence and congruence — your ability to show up aligned with who you are, what you believe, and how you lead — is the one thing no one can give or take away from you. It’s yours. You build it. You protect it. You embody it.

And yet, many leaders (especially high-achievers) unintentionally outsource their confidence.

What kind of impact do you intend to have today?

It’s one thing to mean well — it’s another to actually create the impact you want.

Setting clear intentions (whether for yourself or with your team) saves time, energy, and resources while bringing focus and alignment.

You are always making an impact, and you have the power to consciously set an intention for how you want to experience each moment and how you show up for others. If you don't set a conscious intention, the default, unconscious intention takes over — leading to the feeling that "life is happening TO me."

The IEP Method® (Intentional Energetic Presence®), created by Anese and used by Active Choices, Inc., includes the 5 Steps to Intentional Impact to help you show up intentionally and create the impact you want. 

With packed schedules, back-to-back meetings, and dynamic challenges, it can be hard to stay present and intentional. That’s why these five steps are so valuable to practice personally and with your team.

Happy 2025! As we step into a new year, I want to begin with a heartfelt thank-you for being here and for engaging with this work. Today, I’m sharing some reflections, a look at recent changes within our organization, and an invitation to consider how you’re choosing to lead this year.

Transitioning from remote work to in-office collaboration isn’t just a logistical challenge — it’s a leadership challenge. For a 14-person UX leadership team at a Fortune 100 company, preparing for an impending return-to-office (RTO) mandate brought a unique set of hurdles: adapting to new dynamics, managing the energy required for effective in-person collaboration, and integrating leadership presence with demanding workloads.

Recognizing the stakes, the team pooled their professional development resources to pursue a transformative learning experience — the IEP Method® Foundations community membership and self-study programming.

Here's how they made it happen:

True leadership requires more than just expertise and qualifications; it demands the ability to inspire and positively influence those around you. 

Technical skills, management frameworks, and impressive credentials are no longer enough to guarantee success as a leader. While these elements are undoubtedly important, they can only take you so far.

Why Should You Really Focus on Energy, Intentions, and Presence?

The true differentiator between a successful leader and a potentially damaging one lies in the energy, presence, and intentions they bring to their role. This is the core foundation of the IEP Method®, which emphasizes that sustainable success stems from a leader’s ability to manage not just their tasks, but their energetic impact on their team and organization.