If you’ve been doing significant research on improving your leadership skills, you may have come across two terms. These are ELI (energy leadership index) and ARL (average resonating levels). Both are related to your perceptions of and reactions to work and life.
There’s quite a bit of information out there about both of these concepts. Unfortunately, much of this is more complex than it needs to be. That’s a shame because understanding both is key to becoming a better leader.
This guide was created to counter that. It provides a clear explanation of ELI and ARL and how both impact your leadership ability.
Energy leadership index is an assessment given to people to help them understand the levels of energy they bring to various leadership scenarios. There are seven of these levels. The lower levels are marked by the presence of catabolic energy. This is energy that is:
That sounds all negative, and it mostly is. However, catabolic energy can be useful in crises or emergencies. The problem happens when that kind of energy is a leader’s baseline.
Conversely, the higher levels of energy indicate the presence of anabolic energy. When these energy levels are present, leaders are better able to:
Obviously, anabolic energy leads to good outcomes the majority of the time. However, it’s more important to understand these energy levels than define them as good or bad.
The ELI assessment ultimately tells you your average energy level. This average resonating level shows your energy level during normal and contentious situations.
Here’s a quick overview of the seven energy levels that you might display in a given situation.
Helplessness and Hopelessness
This is the energy of fear, guilt, and victimhood. It’s reactionary because the perception is that whatever has occurred, it was done to you.
Anger and Blame Placing
This energy leads you to be motivated by anger and seek justice by lashing out at whoever you feel has wronged you.
Rationalization and Acceptance
This is just how things are, and it isn’t going to change. It’s no big deal, and I just need to accept it. If you’ve approached a situation with this energy, you have experienced level three.
Compassion and Service to Others
This energy places the needs of others first. It is very team-focused. However, it does tend to come with expectations of appreciation. When that doesn’t come, level 4 energy can turn passive-aggressive.
Seeking Reconciliation and Resolution
This energy is consensus building and works to build cooperation so that everyone benefits from the solution.
Creativity and Forward-Thinking
This is where visionary leaders tend to land much of the time. This is about formulating new ideas and solving problems.
Opportunity and Growth Leadership
With this energy, leaders are best able to identify opportunities for success. Additionally, this energy can lead team members to achieve their goals and increase their talents.
Self-awareness is the most important takeaway here. Leaders who learn from this assessment better understand when they bring helpful energy to a situation and when they might bring destructive energy.
They can use this knowledge to better manage their decisions and reactions. You may even recognize situations where your team is better served by you stepping aside and delegating.
At the same time, you can also recognize when your average resonating levels tend to be high. Use this to understand when you can lead to your strengths and maximize those opportunities