As a business owner, for a moment, think of your company as an electrical circuit.
Since you’re currently reading this blog, you’ve already established yourself as having a leader’s analytical mind. This means that unless you’re an engineer or electrician, the next question you’re going to ask yourself is, what’s a circuit got to do with my business?
A circuit is a closed loop that uses a battery to unleash energy, pushing charged particles through a conducting pathway. Circuits transfer energy from the battery to components in the form of electricity, to use that power to achieve or execute upon a desired function or task.
For the task to be accomplished, energy must flow and be evenly distributed between the battery’s positive and negative terminals; therefore, the battery must unleash coherent power for the task to be optimally and most efficiently performed. If the energy is incoherent, an imbalance occurs.
Reason stands that if there’s not enough energy, one of two things will happen:
- A lag in performance—the result of which will be the inability of the circuit to provide the proper amount of energy for the desired task to be executed, or;
- A short circuit—which is an imbalance caused by more energy than the circuit is designed for.
Your business, as a circuit, is a microcosm of how the entire flow of energy moves throughout nature and the universe. Because we humans are an extension of nature, doesn’t it make sense that we should be mimicking nature for our businesses to perform optimally?
After all, the optimal expression of performance in nature is called homeostasis. Just one of the infinite forms of homeostasis arises from the balanced presentation of masculine and feminine energies. (This is why half of all babies born are of each gender, for example.)
Now let’s go back and look at how this metaphor of the circuit relates to your business:
- The battery = you
- The circuit = your business
- Energy/electricity = your directive
- Charged particles = the intention (love, fear, greed, etc.) of your directive
- Circuit components = your employees
- Positive and negative battery terminals = male and female energy
- The task(s) = your goals, milestones, mission, etc.
- Optimal functioning = a balance between the positive and negative (male and female) energy to keep the circuit flowing
- Homeostasis = happiness & prosperity for owner, employees, and families
Since you you know that being a balanced CEO is optimal, don’t forget that for the battery (i.e., you) to perform, it needs to be charged regularly. To charge, you need to find an energy source that is greater than you to connect to. Throughout my upcoming book, F*ck the Glass Ceiling, I refer to that energy source as The Game, which is the total of 1) your company’s goals, processes, and talent 2) the team’s desire, passion, creative ability, and forgiveness of failures or defeat, 3) the score (or, measurement) at any given time.
Inspired Feminine Leadership is about creating and staying connected to that game, having a blast, and creating wealth—all while doing it in a way that sustains your authentic self for the benefit of your clients, employees, suppliers, and ultimately the world, not to mention your own joy, happiness, and fulfillment.
If you get out of balance, the whole circuit is thrown. I recommend to my Inspired Feminine Leader clients to have your company, your family, your personal life, your daily habits, all add to your battery life, not detract from it, over the long run. Because you’re in a responsible position that requires heightened generosity with your energy, having something to give is essential.
Here’s a list of things I did when I was growing my company, as soon as I could afford it, to keep myself in balance:
- Visited chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists regularly.
- Spent time in nature, whether outside by a pool, floating a river, or camping.
- Traveled regularly to see, taste, and experience new things and get out of ruts.
- Went to spas and other nurturing, peaceful environments.
- Made bold, unexpected moves to shatter people’s projections of me.
- Hired a Nanny (who helped with housekeeping and errands).
- Hired a personal bookkeeper (who handled important files and deadlines).
- Hired a landscaping company, window washer, and car detailer.
- Karaoke parties and spa nights with my girlfriends.
- Meditation, Epsom salt baths, essential oil diffusers, music, and other daily rituals.
- Planted an herb garden and cooked with fresh spices. (For some reason this grounds me.)
- Rescued a dog and opened my heart via training it in manners after it had been neglected.
- Took my mom and daughters on an extended trip (feminine energy immersion, anyone?)
- Wrote down 90-days worth of objectives (three pages) to get my swirling “to-do” list out of my head.
- If I were under pressure for an extended period, I would occasionally ask a masculine figure (male or female- it’s the energy that counts) to step in and temporarily help me carry my heavy load.
- Gently push certain people beyond my immediate magnetosphere because our connection was somehow bringing me “down,” and I had been unable (or unwilling) to create effective boundaries with them.
Getting out of balance is a normal state. Just like our phones aren’t always charged 100%.
It’s different for everyone, but you know when you’re too far out of balance. And only you know what will bring it back. If not, I recommend calling your coach or mentor, or just do some fun experimenting. You can do it!