Leading on Low Battery: Why It Doesn’t Work
- Merve Kagitci Hokamp
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
I have been working with a brilliant CRO of a fast-scaling tech company for the last 2 years. Sharp as a tack. Big vision. Hired well. Delegated well. But recently, she had been showing up to leadership meetings... tired.
Not just physically, but existentially tired. The kind where even small decisions felt like a slog. She said,
“I keep telling myself it’s just a phase. But what if the phase has become the default?”
That line stuck with me. I have heard it before. I have felt it myself before.
She’s not alone. Whether you're a startup founder wearing 12 hats or a corporate exec running billion-dollar portfolios, there’s a universal truth most of us try to dodge:
You cannot lead well when your energy is depleted.
Your energy sets the tone
Research from The Energy Project shows that leaders who are energized—mentally, emotionally, physically—are measurably more effective. In one study with over 12,000 employees, those whose leaders regularly renewed their energy reported:
→ 1.3x higher engagement
→ 1.3x greater satisfaction
→ 2x higher likelihood to stay in their roles
→ And significantly higher levels of focus and creativity
In plain terms: Your team feeds off your energy.
Not your title.
Not your “strategic direction.”
Your actual energy.
The way you show up.
The way you listen.
The way you respond when things get hard.
If you’re in survival mode, your team is in survival mode. If you’re coasting on adrenaline and caffeine, they’re absorbing that pace. It’s contagious — and not in a good way.
What to do when you can’t bring your A-game as a leader
You will have seasons where energy dips. The question isn’t whether you’ll get tired — it’s whether you have the tools to recover without breaking everything around you.
Going away for a week can help. But it doesn’t solve the actual problem. One reset doesn’t undo years of depletion.
What you need is twofold:
→ A consistent regimen to protect your baseline energy (your default state)
→ A toolbox of in-the-moment recovery tactics to stop the slide when you feel it happening
This isn’t about bubble baths and canceling meetings (even though those can be nice too!)
The trick is in building energy awareness into your leadership rhythm — so you don’t let it get so bad that you need to step away to feel human again.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
✅ Name it. Start with honesty. Say, “I’m not at full charge right now.” That self-awareness shifts everything.
✅ Shorten the runway. Tired leaders don’t need 12-slide decks and 90-minute meetings. Say less. Ask more.
✅ Protect the essentials. You know the drill—sleep, movement, nutrition, boundaries. But knowing and doing are different things. Schedule these like you would a board meeting.
✅ Borrow someone else’s energy. Delegate. Tap into a teammate who’s in a better zone this week. Your leadership doesn’t vanish when you ask for help.
✅ Recalibrate. The best leaders build in energy rituals:
→ Morning walks before laptop time
→ One meeting-free day a week
→ “No delivery” hours to avoid 8pm Slack spirals
→ A daily 30 min swim after kids' bedtime
→ 15-minute awe resets (yes, this is a thing)
Awe as a performance enhancer for leadership?
Research from UC Berkeley’s Dacher Keltner found that even short moments of awe —standing under a tree, listening to music, watching the ocean — can significantly expand your mental bandwidth, calm your nervous system, and boost perspective-taking.
Keltner writes:
“Awe helps us stop ruminating. It quiets the ego and reminds us that we’re part of something bigger.”
Which, let’s face it, is the reset most leaders need.
It’s not indulgent. It’s strategic.
Energy is a business resource for a leader
Tony Schwartz, in The Power of Full Engagement, argues that “managing energy, not time, is the key to high performance.” That’s not a fluffy line. That’s the difference between sustainable leadership and becoming a cautionary tale.
Because here's the truth:
→ Time is finite. Energy is renewable — if you treat it that way.
→ Burnout isn’t usually a bonfire — it’s a slow erosion.
→ Your calendar isn’t the enemy — your energy leaks are.
Final thought
That CRO I mentioned earlier worked to put guardrails in place:
→ Team norms that didn’t rely on her 24/7
→ Strategic pauses every quarter
→ A shift in what she thought “good leadership” looked like on a bad day
Six months in, she’s still ambitious. Still visionary. But she’s also pacing herself like someone who wants to be in the game for the long haul — not just sprinting to some imaginary finish line.
You don’t need more hustle. You need more capacity. And capacity starts with energy.
Hi, I’m Merve 👋
I work with ambitious leaders who want to show up with confidence, clarity, and control. Here are six ways we can work together:
Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Tailored to your individual goals, I offer in-depth guidance, a focused strategy, and results-oriented accountability to help you navigate your professional and personal challenges for meaningful progress.
Bring a Custom Leadership Workshop to Your Organization: I work with companies to design and deliver bespoke, high-impact leadership workshops tailored to their unique challenges and goals. Whether it's developing leadership capabilities, strengthening team dynamics, or navigating organizational change, I create sessions that drive real results.
Join Signature Leadership Programs: Designed for corporate leaders and business owners at all stages of the leadership journey, these programs blend 1:1 coaching with group workshops and training, equipping you to grow your career, earnings, and business success.
Subscribe to My FREE Monthly Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest in leadership and business with insights and musings delivered directly to your inbox.
Access FREE Worksheets for Leaders: Visit my website to access and download worksheets and workbooks that provide practical exercises for enhancing self-awareness, self-reflection, and fostering positive change in your leadership and team dynamics.
Follow me on LinkedIn: Connect with me on LinkedIn for daily updates, thought-provoking articles, and a community of like-minded professionals committed to continuous growth and leadership excellence. Join the conversation and stay inspired on your leadership journey.
