Let's Chat

Talent Directors

Our Solutions

About

Blog

Let's Chat

June, 2025

Why You're Struggling With Energy as an Agency Leader (and What to Do About It)

Your energy isn’t just about how much you give; it’s about the mindset you bring to every moment.

I wish I’d known this years ago.

Back when I was leading teams in a fast-paced agency, energy was the one thing I didn’t think I needed to manage - until I had none left.

One moment I was thriving on the adrenaline, juggling clients and campaigns with pride.

The next, I was running on fumes, constantly second-guessing, reactive, and stuck in survival mode.

Back then, I thought burnout just “happened.”

But in reality, I was spending too much time in the lower energy levels - absorbing stress, dealing with imposter syndrome, and on-again, off-again confidence - without knowing how to shift out of it.

Understanding how energy works would have changed everything.

So let’s talk energy.

We're not talking the number of meetings you’ve powered through or how much sleep you scraped together.

We’re talking leadership energy…

Your internal state.

Your mindset.

The lens you use to navigate pressure and respond to everything thrown your way.

Because that inner energy? It shapes…

Your presence.

Your decisions.

Your impact.

And if you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things but still running on empty, this could be why.

Because leadership isn't just about what you do.

It’s about the energy behind it.

Leadership is an energy game.

Especially in the agency world. The pace is relentless, the pressure is constant, and the stakes feel personal.

You’re leading people. Managing emotions. Juggling clients. Delivering creative work that lives or dies on subjective opinions.

Some days you’re flying. Confident. Clear. Energised.

Other days, completely drained. Heavy. Frustrated. Checked out.

Why?

Because your experience of leadership isn’t just about what happens to you. It’s about how you interpret it.

It’s not just the external pressure that drains you. It’s the internal energy level you’re operating from.

But let’s be honest. Energy can feel like an abstract concept.

So let’s make it real.

Same Event. 7 Different Experiences.

Same Event.

7 Different Experiences.

We’re going to break it down using one of the most emotionally charged moments in agency life…

Losing a pitch.

You’ve poured in late nights, brainstorms, strategy decks, creative mockups - and after all that, the client goes elsewhere.

Gutting, right?

Now here’s the shift…

That same event can be experienced seven very different ways, depending on your mindset, your energy.

Let’s bring it to life with the
7 Levels of Energy Leadership.

Level 1:

The Victim Mindset

At Level 1, you’re powerless.

You feel like things happen to you, not because of you or for you.

Self-pity kicks in. You withdraw. You avoid the debrief. You blame bad luck, difficult clients, bad timing.

You tell yourself:
"We can never catch a break. It’s hopeless."

Energy drains fast at this level because there’s no ownership.

Everything feels outside your control.

Level 2:

The Conflict Mindset

At Level 2, the energy turns outward but stays negative.

You’re defensive.

Frustrated.

You’re pointing fingers.
The team didn’t deliver.

The client was impossible.

The brief kept changing.

You tell yourself:
"If they had listened to me, we would have won."

The energy here is more active but it’s toxic.

It fuels tension, arguments, and division inside the team.

You’re defensive.

Frustrated.

You’re pointing fingers.
The team didn’t deliver.

The client was impossible.

The brief kept changing.

You tell yourself:
"If they had listened to me, we would have won."

The energy here is more active but it’s toxic.

It fuels tension, arguments, and division inside the team.

Level 3:

The Coping Mindset

At Level 3, you start rationalising.

You stay professional.

You reassure the team.

You tell yourself it’s part of the business.

"These things happen. We'll move on and get the next one."

On the surface, this seems healthy.

But often it’s surface-level acceptance without deep learning.

You're functioning but not really growing.

You stay professional.

You reassure the team.

You tell yourself it’s part of the business.

"These things happen. We'll move on and get the next one."

On the surface, this seems healthy.

But often it’s surface-level acceptance without deep learning.

You're functioning but not really growing.

Level 4:

The Service Mindset

Now you’re starting to shift into more constructive energy.

You check in on the team’s wellbeing.

You’re concerned about morale, about how others are processing the loss.

You say:
"We worked hard. Let’s support each other and keep perspective."

This creates psychological safety and keeps the team connected.

However it may skip personal reflection on what could have been done differently.

You check in on the team’s wellbeing.

You’re concerned about morale, about how others are processing the loss.

You say:
"We worked hard. Let’s support each other and keep perspective."

This creates psychological safety and keeps the team connected.

However it may skip personal reflection on what could have been done differently.

Level 5:

The Opportunity Mindset

At Level 5, the loss becomes data.

You debrief fully and honestly.

You get curious, not defensive.

You look for patterns, not blame.

You say:
"What worked?

What didn’t?

What can we change for next time?"

The team stays motivated because the setback feels like part of growth, not a personal failure.

At this level, energy fuels momentum.

You debrief fully and honestly.

You get curious, not defensive.

You look for patterns, not blame.

You say:
"What worked?

What didn’t?

What can we change for next time?"

The team stays motivated because the setback feels like part of growth, not a personal failure.

At this level, energy fuels momentum.

Level 6:

The Synthesis Mindset

At Level 6, you're fully in flow.

You see the loss as part of a much bigger game.
A lost pitch may open space for a better client fit down the line.

You’re not overly attached to the outcome.

You trust the process.

You say:
"This is part of the long-term journey we’re building."

From here, pressure dissolves.

Your energy is stable, present, and inspiring.

You see the loss as part of a much bigger game.
A lost pitch may open space for a better client fit down the line.

You’re not overly attached to the outcome.

You trust the process.

You say:
"This is part of the long-term journey we’re building."

From here, pressure dissolves.

Your energy is stable, present, and inspiring.

Level 7:

The Absolute Passion Mindset

At Level 7, you're operating at pure creative consciousness.

There’s no fear. No judgement. No win or lose.
Only the experience of creating, learning, and evolving.

You say:
"Every moment matters. Every experience adds to who we are."

This is rare. But when accessed, it’s powerful.

Your leadership becomes magnetic because you radiate certainty without attachment.

There’s no fear. No judgement. No win or lose.
Only the experience of creating, learning, and evolving.

You say:
"Every moment matters. Every experience adds to who we are."

This is rare. But when accessed, it’s powerful.

Your leadership becomes magnetic because you radiate certainty without attachment.

The Truth About Energy Struggles In Leadership

When leaders say "I'm exhausted" it’s rarely just physical.

I know because I’ve been there.

In my final years working agency-side, the burnout crept in quietly.

I was showing up, but I wasn’t fully present. I was performing, but not thriving.

The truth is, I was stuck in Level 1 and 2 energy - self doubt, frustration, guilt - spinning in reactive mode and telling myself it was just part of the job.

It wasn’t.

And once I learned to recognise those patterns, and more importantly, how to shift them, everything started to change.

The good news?

Energy levels are not fixed.

Energy is a choice.

Awareness creates choice.

Choice creates freedom.

Freedom creates energy.

The key is learning to…

✔

Recognise where you're operating

✔

Catch your patterns in the moment

✔

Shift your perspective upwards

Leadership Is An Energy Sport

This is why leadership feels so heavy for some and so energising for others.

Not because their external world is easier.
But because their internal world is clearer.

If you're constantly drained as a leader, it's not because you're not strong enough.
It's because you're stuck in a level that isn’t serving you and no one ever taught you how to shift.

The Work Begins Here

If this is landing, take a breath.
Not just to pause, but to reflect.

Ask yourself:

What level of energy are you leading from?

What would open up if you had the tools to shift it?