Fully Charged

CHAPTER 3

Rebuilding Positive Energy

Escaping the Corrosion Trap

In the last chapter, we described two strategies you can use to jump-start your organization if it has become mired in a low-energy zone. But sometimes, you find yourself as a leader confronting even more serious problems. Recall our examples from Lufthansa, BSH, and other companies whose energy became corrosive; clearly, corrosive energy represents the most destructive way of using the company’s potential. Yet it can be deceptive, since this trap manifests in an energetic way: an organization with corrosive energy will appear highly emotionally involved, creative, and active—but for all the wrong reasons and with a misguided focus, because these forces are invested largely in interpersonal ...