More Power or Less Friction?
By the time individuals reach the level of Senior Director or Vice President in a large organization, pretty much everyone has a lot of energy. The drive and determination needed to get that far is a given. So, what becomes the differentiating factor as they continue their upward journey? It’s no longer about how much energy you have—it’s about how effectively you use it. As senior executives swim through their professional “water,” some are shaped emotionally and intellectually like dolphins—they minimize drag and get more done with the same effort. Others, however, face obstacles in the form of distractions, maladaptations, and friction that slow them down. They’re shaped like bricks, and their energy is wasted in distraction and conflict. They swim just as hard, but they fall behind.
What’s Slowing You Down?
At the highest levels of leadership, drag comes in many forms—emotional distractions and intellectual drag. It’s the invisible weight that holds you back, often without you realizing it. To move forward effectively, you need to identify where the drag is coming from and take steps to eliminate it.
Emotional Drag: The Invisible Weight
Emotional drag occurs when beliefs, feelings, or unresolved tensions divert your focus. It’s more than just stress—it’s emotional friction that holds you back and drains your energy.
One example I encountered was a Vice President who initially came across as defensive. Through our conversations, it became clear that his defensiveness was rooted in years of critical feedback from poor leadership experiences. This emotional baggage became a drag on his leadership. After working together to address this, we were able to clear about 80% of the emotional drag, which led him to eventually become the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and serve on several public boards. We still stay in touch today.
This is a perfect example of how emotional drag isn’t just about feeling stressed. It’s about long-term emotional scars—internal baggage that can impact everything from decision-making to interpersonal relationships.
Here are a few other sources of emotional drag you might recognize:
- Unresolved Conflict: Whether it’s internal team tensions or personal issues, conflict diverts your focus and drains your emotional energy.
- Imposter Syndrome: Even senior leaders can struggle with self-doubt. If you don’t trust your own abilities, you’ll waste energy second-guessing your decisions.
- Burnout: Ongoing stress without recovery leads to burnout, reducing your ability to think clearly and delegate effectively.
- Over-Identification with Success or Failure: Tying your self-worth to project outcomes leads to emotional volatility. The best leaders can separate their personal identity from their professional successes or failures.
- People-Pleasing: Constantly trying to please everyone—at the expense of your own goals—drains both emotional and intellectual energy, making you less effective.
Intellectual Drag: The Mental Fatigue
Intellectual drag happens when you spend mental energy on unnecessary tasks or overthink decisions, reducing your ability to operate efficiently and make clear decisions. It’s friction created by inefficiencies in thinking.
A Division President I worked with had an intellectual drag based on a deeply ingrained belief that making decisions quickly was always a source of competitive advantage. In the early stages of his career, this helped him keep up with fast-moving environments. But as he rose to senior management, this mindset became a hindrance. Often, no decision was necessary at that moment, but his rush to act led him to make premature decisions. The truth was, if he had just waited a little longer—whether a week or even a month—he could have made a better, more informed decision. Waiting didn’t cause any risk to the business; it simply allowed him to gather more relevant data.
Our work together focused on learning how to wait—to remain present and focused, and allow decisions to evolve naturally over time. Much like a crockpot recipe, some decisions take time to reach full flavor. Rushing only increases the risk of making a mistake or missing key insights.
Here’s where intellectual drag shows up in leadership:
- Micromanaging: Being involved in too many details wastes your energy, preventing you from focusing on high-level strategy.
- Analysis Paralysis: Overthinking every variable delays decisions. Senior leaders need to make decisions swiftly and confidently.
- Lack of Focus on Key Priorities: Trying to juggle too many tasks can lead to confusion and burnout. Focus on what moves the needle.
- Stagnating in Old Strategies: Holding onto outdated strategies prevents growth. Intellectual drag comes from reluctance to adapt to new ways of thinking.
- Information Overload: Trying to process too much irrelevant data slows down decision-making. Only focus on what’s actionable.
- Not Delegating Enough: Doing tasks that others should handle leaves you mentally fatigued and prevents you from leading effectively.
Streamlining Your Leadership: How to Eliminate Drag
Now that we know where the drag is coming from, how do we reduce it? Just like a dolphin cutting through water effortlessly, senior executives need to streamline their leadership to glide through the complexities of their role. Here are a few ways to reduce drag and maximize efficiency:
- Delegate to Empower: Delegation is key to reducing intellectual drag. Trust your team with tasks that don’t need your involvement, and free yourself to focus on strategy and high-impact decisions.
- Manage Emotional Energy: Take control of your emotional state. Resolve conflicts quickly, stay emotionally resilient, and separate personal feelings from professional outcomes. Managing your emotional energy allows you to lead effectively and decisively.
- Simplify Decision-Making: Don’t overthink. Focus on what matters and make decisions quickly. Set frameworks that help you process information efficiently and make decisions without over-analyzing.
- Stay Focused on Priorities: Time is one of your most valuable resources. Don’t waste it on low-priority tasks. Stay laser-focused on what drives the most value.
- Learn to Adapt and Evolve: Leadership requires continuous learning. Always seek ways to improve, adapt to changing circumstances, and streamline your approach to remain effective and relevant.
Conclusion: Leadership Without the Drag
At the highest levels of leadership, it’s not about adding more energy. The best leaders know how to use the energy they already have, minimizing the drag along the way. By addressing emotional and intellectual friction head-on, you streamline your approach and keep your leadership operating at peak efficiency.
So, ask yourself: Are you swimming like a dolphin, or dragging yourself like a brick?
The choice is yours.
