John Pringle

Years ago, every morning around 8am, I and the other managers at a sausage factory in Manchester would assemble for breakfast. As usual we would sit at the same table in the canteen. There was no formal demarcation yet no one else ever used the ‘managers’ table. Some mornings our conversation would be lively and filled with banter. Other mornings we would let off a bit of steam with each other about our general frustrations about home and work.

After one such morning where we had let off a bit of steam I was walking around the factory floor. The chief shop steward from the trade union stopped me and asked if there was any substance to the rumours that there would be redundancies in the factory.

I was astonished as there were no such plans, volumes were solid and the factory was doing well.

I pushed the steward as to where the rumours had started.

His only reply was the canteen!

Sometimes lessons from your first job, some 21 years ago, now stick with you.

As a leader you’re ‘on camera’ and so is your energy – all the time!

Leadership nudge: How consciously do you manage your own energy in public? And how aware are you of how your energy is impacting others? How do you go about finding out what impact your energy has had?

By John Pringle

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