The Energy Detox

Do you spend enough time encouraging your employees to steal?

If not, check out this episode of The Energy Detox, where you'll hear:

1) how a theft-based culture can actually be the key to sustained success; and

2) why it's up to you as a leader to implement rules that make it easier for your employees to steal.

Curious where the inspiration for this unconventional #leadership advice comes from?

Well, look no further than the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have have used every tool (sword?) at their disposal—including roster construction, data analytics, and Major League Baseball's bigger bases—to lead the majors in steals and, more importantly, to lead the National League in wins.

Steal like a Pirate. Lead like a champ.

#RiskManagement #SustainableLeadership

How was Pittsburgh's Fern Hollow Bridge reconstructed so quickly?

A) Local and state government got out of the way and used emergency declarations to remove red tape that would have normally caused a project like this to take 3-4 years;

B) The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allowed PennDOT to quickly dedicate $25.3 million in federal funds to the Fern Hollow project without impacting other regional infrastructure needs; or

C) The original bridge was hauled out of the way, which meant the contractor had extra space to work and didn't have to worry about maintaining traffic flow during construction.

Regardless of how much answers 'A' and 'B' factored into the bridge's rapid reconstruction, it's answer 'C' that is most relevant as you kick off the new year.

Why?

Because you and your teams are unwittingly wasting time, #energy, and money maintaining "bridges" that need to be demolished and disposed of.

“Tangible, Impactful, Local”—the mantra of the CNX Foundation—is clearly reflected in the $1 million commitment that CNX is making to broadband expansion in Greene County.

"Tangible, Impactful, Local"—or TIL for short—also happens to be a handy leadership mnemonic you can use to determine whether you're...

1) consciously maximizing the potential of EXISTING resources (like a multi-million dollar well or pipeline or compressor station that you simply have to Turn In Line—or TIL for short); or

2) unwittingly abandoning the investments of time, money, and energy you've already made and, in turn, falling victim to some shiny new "leadership" initiative that's actually just a bunch of abstract, irrelevant, generic ideas likely to produce uninspiring and unsustainable results.

To hear more about CNX's efforts to get rural residents "online," the actions you can take to turn your investments "in line," and some of the ways in which CNX's Nick Deiuliis' consistent messaging around "connecting" and "catalyzing" tie in to this "Leadership TIL Report," check out the latest episode of 'The Energy Detox' podcast.

Oil & gas companies can't avoid industry-wide booms and busts, but they CAN avoid costly BOOMerang leadership changes due to BUSTed succession planning practices.

Tapping into some lessons from Disney's boomeranging of Bob Iger—who replaced his successor Bob Chapek yesterday—this episode of 'The Energy Detox' will help you answer these 3 succession-related questions:

1 - In what ways are you settling for a warm body or the "next-in-line" instead of proactively fighting for the best talent possible?

2 - How has the narrative about the difficulty "everyone is facing" when it comes to attracting talent (true as it may be) caused you to lower the bar, to stop thinking outside the box, and change your definition of the "ideal candidate?"

3 - What are all the ways that the time, #energy, and money wasted on rectifying failed succession planning have caused you and your team to deviate from your company's core mission?

#ConsciousLeadership #SuccessionPlanning

How many heads of state at COP27 regret signing up for failed #energy policies?

How many investors regret buying into the FTX hype?

How many voters regret casting their ballot 6 weeks before Election Day?

How many of those people have the intellectual honesty to ADMIT their mistakes instead of rationalizing and doubling down on regretful decisions?

Regardless of the answers to those questions, YOUR poor response to buyer's remorse—in business, politics, and life—can drain you of time, money, and energy. 

So please take a few minutes to ask yourself in what ways your "sunk cost leadership mindset" is unwittingly sinking your team's prospects for long-term success.

#ConsciousLeadership

How many leaders do you know who rely on "smoke & mirrors" to fool their fans into thinking their apparent success is more sustainable than it really is?

In what ways have you been fooled into thinking that bottom line results—like the potentially misleading win-loss record of an undefeated sports team—reflect actual potential and long-term viability?

How often have you fallen into the trap of parroting talking points—like the often misleading facts & figures supporting renewable energy—that, in turn, lead to short-sighted decisions?

Regardless of your answers to those questions, this episode of The Energy Detox will remind you that bottom-line results don't always speak for themselves, drawing upon 2 green history lessons from the worlds of sports & energy:

1 - Notre Dame’s 2002 “Smoke & Mirrors” football season, during which the 8-0 Fighting Irish—wearing green jerseys at home for the first time in 17 years—were upset by Boston College.

2 - Ireland’s 2022 “Smoke & Mirrors” energy policy that has caused the Irish—who are stubbornly relying on a short-sighted view of “green” energy that has led to a continued rebuke of potential LNG facilities—to be the “worst prepared country in Europe” in terms of their ability to withstand an energy crisis.

#ConsciousLeadership #ItsNotEasyBeingGreen

“Insight without action is worthless.” - Marie Forleo

On the heels of this year’s SHALE INSIGHT® conference, what leadership actions can you take to strengthen and sustain yourself, your team, your company, and your industry?

To help you answer that question, this episode of The Energy Detox will translate a theme from each of the conference keynotes into proven and practical leadership steps you can take today to go from “insight to action.”

Are you like Allegheny County Council, which decided to toss away the undeniable benefits of natural gas development in order to score political points?

Are you so set in your ways that you would rather shut down conversations about potential win-win scenarios than do your job by critically considering all future opportunities that could benefit your stakeholders?

Are you a member of the energy industry who shakes your head at the short-sightedness of many government officials...while missing out on opportunities to tell those officials what you think as an individual citizen?

You know that a hurried Energy Transition would cost trillions of dollars and may upend the lives of millions of people around the world already facing energy insecurity....so, is the net impact worth it?

You know how irritating it is when someone says, "Hey, I've got a 'quick question' for ya," knowing how likely it is that their question is neither quick nor important....so, is the fact that you do the same thing to others on a regular basis worth it?

You know that a “quick peak” at social media can cost you an hour or more of productivity....so, is scrolling through nauseating LinkedIn posts and watching a video from another self-proclaimed "coach" worth it?

Regardless of your answers to those questions, ask yourself:

1 - "In what ways am I underestimating the burden that 'switching costs' are having on my day-to-day performance?" and

2 - "How might I help others quantify the all-in costs of personal and professional 'switching costs' unwittingly draining them of time, energy, and money?"