Energy levels
The 7 levels of energy.
A simple way to notice how you're showing up, and to choose how you'd rather.
The idea
Energy isn't motivation. It's how you're meeting the moment.
The Energy Leadership framework, which my iPEC training is built on, describes seven levels of energy. Each is a way of seeing a situation and responding to it.
The first two are catabolic. They drain you and tend to break things down. The other five are anabolic. They build, and they open up options you couldn't see before.
The names and descriptions below are my own plain-language take on the framework. They're a way into the conversation, not an assessment.
Levels 1 and 2
Draining energy
Level 1: Victim
“Nothing I do makes a difference.”
Heavy, tired, powerless. It feels like things happen to you and there's no point trying. This isn't weakness. It's often what a long stretch of pressure leaves behind.
Level 2: Conflict
“It's me against this.”
Frustration, blame and pushing harder. There's plenty of energy here, but it burns fast and tends to cost you relationships and sleep. A lot of capable men live here for years.
Levels 3 to 7
Building energy
Level 3: Responsibility
“I'll handle it.”
Steady and dependable. You take ownership of your life and your choices. It's the first level that builds energy rather than drains it, though it can feel more like duty than drive.
Level 4: Care
“How can I help?”
Compassion and service. You're tuned in to other people and what they need. It's a strong place to lead from, and an easy one to burn out in if you're caring for everyone except yourself.
Level 5: Possibility
“There's something in this.”
Curious and solution-minded. Problems start to look like openings. You're open to other people's ideas and willing to try something new.
Level 6: Flow
“It all connects.”
Creative and purposeful. You trust your instincts, see the bigger picture and work from meaning rather than pressure. Work feels like it matters.
Level 7: Presence
“It is what it is, and I'm here.”
Calm, clear and unattached to the outcome. You see what's happening without judging it. Nobody lives here all day, and you don't need to. It's a place to visit and learn from.
Reading the levels
Four things worth knowing.
- You're in more than one
- On any given day you move between levels, and you often sit at different ones at work, at home and with different people.
- Stress pulls you down
- When pressure rises, most of us drop toward the draining levels. That's normal. Seeing it happen is what gives you a choice.
- You don't climb in order
- You can shift from level 2 to level 5 in a single honest conversation. It's not a ladder you earn one rung at a time.
- The goal is choice
- Nobody lives at level 7. The aim is to notice where you are and have more say in where you go.
A check-in for today
Where are you right now?
A few questions to sit with. Not a score.
- What's the thing on your mind most this week?
- When you think about it, what do you tell yourself?
- Which level does that sound like?
- What would it sound like one level up?
- What's one small thing you could do from there?
About the assessment
iPEC also offers the Energy Leadership Index (ELI), a formal assessment of your energy patterns. It's available only through iPEC-certified practitioners, and I'll be able to offer it once my training is complete.
Energy Leadership, Energy Leadership Index and Core Energy Coaching are trademarks of iPEC.
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