The Energy Detox

On this off-cycle Election Day, you'll undoubtedly hear about how abysmally low voter turnout is in most states, excepting Virginia and New Jersey. But is high voter turnout the best measure of a "successful" electoral process? Similarly, when companies tout high "employee engagement," are they mistakenly elevating mindless—if not forced—employee participation to a level greater than it really is?

The headline: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞? 𝐍𝐉 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 (by Brian McCrone of NBC10 Philadelphia)

The article: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/changing-climate/what-about-climate-change-nj-voters-push-issue-to-backseat-in-governors-race/3021039/

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 Are you placing a higher value on "participation" than on genuine engagement?

💡 In what ways are your employee polls protecting leadership's existing biases?

💡 What is the most sustainable approach to employee engagement for your organization?

For an expanded discussion on the impacts that both political and corporate elections—and, in turn, transitions of power—can have on your stakeholders, check out this November 2020 episode of #TheEnergyDetox:

https://www.wittingpartners.com/the-energy-detox/non-peaceful-transitions-of-power

On this all Saints' Day, we use the ongoing adoration of St. Greta of Sweden as an opportunity to help you determine whether you're fueling a culture where certain leaders (perhaps even yourself) are viewed as saints, thus masking potentially fatal flaws that can unwittingly lead stakeholders into damnation.

The headline: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐎𝐏26 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐠𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 (The Straits Times)

The article: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/acclaim-for-greta-thunberg-as-cop26-protesters-rally-in-glasgow-ahead-of-climate-summit

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 Are you growing a sustainable team or a cult of personality?

💡 Are you protecting your cause for sainthood at the expense of your stakeholders?

💡 Do you have a devil's advocate to hold you fully accountable?

For more information on COP26, turn to this link from Alex Epstein, someone who has had no problem playing the role of devil's advocate when it comes to this week's UN Climate Conference:

https://alexepstein.substack.com/p/intellectual-ammunition-to-fight

#leadership #sustainability

If you watched coverage of yesterday's House Oversight Committee hearing with the leaders of several #oilandgas majors, you were likely subjected to the same political theatre and posturing that make up a sickening portion of these types of hearings. But even if you count yourself lucky to not be a part of such performances, go ahead and use yesterday's headlines about this hearing as an excuse to ask whether you're unwittingly sounding more like a politician on camera to your stakeholders than the thoughtful, apolitical, self-aware leader you THINK (or hope) you are.

The headline: 𝐎𝐢𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 (by Matthew Daly of AP)

The article: https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-environment-and-nature-campaigns-cf3524fd23854d2c2df2d3294dd58134

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 Do your questions unlock meaningful answers or induce defensiveness?

💡 Are you unwittingly asking questions that protect a narrative and/or your ego?

💡 How much time and #energy are you wasting on fruitless "dialogue?"

For an example of some of the non-productive questions posed during yesterday's hearing, check out this exchange between Mike Wirth, CEO of Chevron, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan: https://youtu.be/r7PS_kIhuWs?t=13

And for an expanded conversation on the topic of corrosive communication, check out episode 19 of #TheEnergyDetox: https://www.wittingpartners.com/the-energy-detox/leadership-communication-pipeline-attack

#leadership #sustainability

With news that EQT has optimized some of its firm transportation portfolio, this morning's a good time to ask yourself whether the commitments governing your professional and personal life are still providing the same value you'd anticipated when you signed up for them...assuming you even remember signing up in the first place.

The headline: EQT sells portion of its capacity on the Mountain Valley Pipeline (by Paul J. Gough of The Pittsburgh Business Times)

The article: https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2021/10/27/eqt-mountain-valley-pipeline.html

The goal: to (G)row, (P)rotect, and (S)ustain success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 What unnecessary commitments are hindering your ability to flourish?

💡 How much time, energy, and money are you spending to protect old habits?

💡 Are you unwittingly signing up for an unsustainable level of new obligations?

For an expanded conversation on the topic of (figurative) FT agreements and how they produce unsustainable leaders, check out this April 2020 episode of The Energy Detox:

https://www.wittingpartners.com/the-energy-detox/firm-transportation-agreements-and-unsustainability

Using yet another headline pointing to dwindling Cushing storage, this live episode of #TheEnergyDetox will help you properly measure and value your personal energy reserves.

The headline: 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 (by Stephanie Kelly of Reuters)

The article: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-demand-oil-surges-depleting-tanks-oklahoma-2021-10-27/

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 How might your personal growth be outpacing available resources?

💡 Does the value you command reflect your full potential?

💡 Have you unwittingly become an energy hub for your stakeholders?

#leadership #sustainability

When was the last time you re-stacked your professional building blocks?

Well, regardless of your answer, this live episode of #TheEnergyDetox will use yet another headline about the escalating cost of #energy in Europe to help you revisit the most fundamental elements needed for you and your stakeholders to sustain professional momentum heading into the winter.

The headline: 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬: 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 (Reuters)

The article: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bleak-houses-families-struggle-foot-frances-soaring-energy-bills-2021-10-26/

The goal: to (𝐆)𝐫𝐨𝐰, (𝐏)𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐒)𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 What are the critical building blocks for continued growth?

💡 Who are the people you are tasked with protecting?

💡 How can you mitigate the effects of professional and personal volatility?

#leadership #sustainability

Are you unwittingly choosing propaganda over purpose?

To help you answer that question, this live episode of hashtag#TheEnergyDetox will use some climate news out of China to reframe the way that you are approaching your professional and personal commitments.

The headline: China says it must consider food and energy security when curbing emissions

The article: https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/china-says-must-consider-supply-chain-food-energy-security-when-curbing-2021-10-24/

The takeaway: "China should 'manage the relationship between pollution reduction and carbon reduction and energy security, industrial supply chain security, food security and normal life of the people,' said a cabinet document published by official media Xinhua." (Reuters)

The goal: to (G)row, (P)rotect, and (S)ustain success by pondering these 3 questions throughout your day:

💡 How might your short-term focus be hindering long-term growth?

💡 What are the hidden costs of protecting a flimsy narrative?

💡 What tools are you using to better connect your purpose to your people?

Thanks to the inescapable “energy crisis” headlines flooding newsfeeds, the world’s AWARENESS of energy—or at least awareness of rising energy costs—is greater than it’s been in years.

As is often the case with headlines, however, they can distract you from underlying issues that may be even more problematic—albeit not quite as sexy or attention-grabbing as something labeled with the word “crisis.”

Similarly, many energy industry leaders are suffering from a “Consciousness Crisis” and are unwittingly ignoring issues that are chipping away at their credibility and effectiveness as they and their teams focus on navigating the energy crisis, the supply chain crisis, the labor crisis, and whatever other crises are grabbing their attention.

That being said—and in honor of Energy Awareness Month—this episode of The Energy Detox will raise awareness of the common (yet often hidden) barriers holding leaders like you back from achieving sustained success.

“When life knocks you down, stay there and take a nap…”

…is probably NOT something Tony Robbins or other motivational speakers would say to fire up an audience.

But sometimes you NEED to be told to take a nap…or to lower the bar…or to give up.

Now, one obviously shouldn't give this advice casually.  In fact, suggestions like those should probably come with a “MATURE CONTENT” warning, as they’re inappropriate for many audiences.

That being said, are you sick of the non-stop barrage of conventional leadership posts, quotes, articles, books, webinars, and speakers recycling the same ol’ advice encouraging you to “give it all you’ve got” and “get right back on your feet?"

If so, then listen to this episode of The Energy Detox, where we’ll drill into unconventional leadership and (de-)motivational themes that will help you and your stakeholders withstand the non-stop punches being thrown at today's energy industry.

If you thought the Colonial Pipeline attack was bad, just wait until you see how vulnerable your company’s communication pipeline is to leaks, corrosion, bottlenecks, and other potentially catastrophic threats.

And to help you identify those vulnerabilities, this live episode of The Energy Detox will lay out the 5 most important communications-related questions you and other energy industry leaders need to ask so that you can:

1 - Eliminate corrosive communications—hidden problems that can lead to catastrophe

2 - Avoid dependence on “automated” communication strategies that can open you up to incidents far costlier than the Colonial cyberattack

3 - Re-route and think better on your feet instead of remaining over-reliant on a single (and often outdated) leadership communication pathway that is preventing you from reaching your stakeholders in a timely and effective manner

4 - Anticipate communications bottlenecks that will arise when your existing pipeline network can't handle the volume (or complexity) of the messages you're trying to share

5 - Reduce the odds of your audience declaring a dubious “force majeure incident” that can render your seemingly perfect communications plan even more useless than Colonial’s 5,500 miles of pipe were following the cyberattack