The Myth of “Work on What Gives You Energy”: Why Leadership Must Create the Right Environment
The Myth of “Work on What Gives You Energy”: Why Leadership Must Create the Right Environment
Every week I read another LinkedIn post encouraging us to work on what gives us energy.
I agree — but only partly.
Because whether we can actually spend time on meaningful work depends not only on us. It also depends on the organization we work in.
Finding work that energizes us matters. Understanding our strengths matters. Focusing on activities where we can create value matters.
But there is another question we should ask:
Has the organization created the conditions where people can actually do that?
Because energy at work is not created by individuals alone. It is also shaped by leadership, workplace culture, and the environment in which people operate.
The missing part of the conversation about motivation.
A lot of conversations about employee motivation focus on the individual.
We tell people to:
- discover their purpose,
- follow their passion,
- develop their strengths,
- spend more time doing what they enjoy.
All of these things are valuable.
But they assume something important: that the workplace enables people to apply their strengths.
What happens when the opposite is true?
What happens when:
- priorities constantly change?
- teams work toward different goals?
- decisions require unnecessary approval layers?
- employees are not empowered to act?
- the company vision exists on paper but is not translated into daily behaviours?
Even the most talented and motivated people will spend their energy navigating the system rather than creating value.
The problem is not always a lack of motivation.
Sometimes the problem is the environment.
Leadership is about creating the conditions for success
Great leaders understand that their role is not only to inspire people. Their role is to design an environment where people can perform at their best.
This requires more than communicating a vision once a year.
It requires:
Clarity
People need to understand where the organization is going, why it matters, and how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
A vision that is understood only by senior leadership is not a shared vision.
Alignment
Teams need to move in the same direction.
A company can have brilliant individuals, but if departments optimise for different objectives, the organization loses energy through misalignment.
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Empowerment
People cannot take ownership if every decision is controlled from the top.
Trust is not created by asking employees to be accountable. Trust is created by giving them the space to make decisions.
Removal of friction
Leaders should continuously ask:
“What obstacles are preventing our people from doing their best work?”
Sometimes the biggest improvement is not adding something new. It is removing what slows people down.
Are we all rowing in the same direction?
An organization is like a rowing team.
Success does not come from having the strongest individual rowers. It comes from everyone rowing together, at the same rhythm, toward the same destination.
When people are aligned, energy becomes momentum.
When people are not aligned, energy is wasted.
The organization may be full of talented people working hard, but without a shared direction, effort does not automatically create progress.
This is why organizational alignment is one of the most important responsibilities of leadership.
Employee engagement is not only an employee responsibility
We often measure employee engagement through surveys and ask:
“Are our employees motivated?”
But perhaps leaders should also ask:
“Have we created a workplace where motivation can survive?”
Employee engagement is influenced by many factors:
- meaningful work,
- trust,
- leadership behaviour,
- clarity of priorities,
- opportunities to contribute,
- feeling connected to a larger purpose.
People want to make an impact.
But they need an environment that allows them to do so.
The real leadership question
Perhaps instead of only asking employees:
“What gives you energy?”
leaders should also ask themselves:
“What in our organization is taking energy away from the people who want to contribute?”
Because people are responsible for bringing their talent, curiosity, and commitment.
But leaders are responsible for creating the conditions where those qualities can become impact.
Leadership is not simply about motivating people.
Leadership is about building an organization where people can do their best work — together.
