What introverted leaders said about the challenges of Managing Energy in the workplace

• “Working in large teams exhausts me. More than three or four people at once is too much for me to be productive.”
  
  
• “At the end of a day with lots of meetings, without reflective time, energy levels dwindle and this has a knock-on effect at home when my family need me too.”
  
  
• “I find it very draining swimming against the tide in an organisation which is hierarchical and pretty macho in culture, and I have experienced a lot of stress.”
  
  
• “My energy levels decrease and stress levels increase ... I become aware of the difference in how I am, how I feel, how others perceive and respond to me. This real or perceived feedback is draining.”
  
  
• “The need to be constantly involved during larger meetings and conferences can be draining.”
  
  
• “Recently, I've had a lot less energy and I am much more aware of how much faster that limited energy drains when I am with a lot of people.”
  
  
• “I had a particularly difficult period when I had a Board level role, going through organisational change and financial difficulties plus two small children. I had a very short journey home from work and then I would walk in to "Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!!" with no time to draw breath, let alone re-energise myself. My profile and impact were definitely affected.”
  
  
• “I have realised that I need to manage my energy. I am no use to anybody exhausted.”