📬 In This Week’s Issue:
Why your tone as a leader sets the ceiling for your team
A 3-step reset for leaders whose team energy feels off
How to lead with consistency, not intensity
Reader Q&A: “How do I raise the energy without forcing it?”
A challenge to audit your leadership tone this week
Setting the Stage
You’ve probably seen it:
A team that feels low-energy, hesitant, or slightly tense.
It’s easy to assume it’s them.
But here’s what I’ve seen over and over again:
The team’s tone usually mirrors the leader’s.
If you’re scattered, they’re scattered.
If you’re calm, they settle.
If you bring quiet intensity, they rise.
This doesn’t mean you need to be a cheerleader.
But it does mean you need to pay attention to what your presence creates.
🔎 THE BIG INSIGHT
Your tone is your leadership culture.
Not the one-pager. Not the vision deck. Not the values slide.
The way you show up consistently is what people learn to expect and emulate.
You don’t need to be loud or high-energy to lead well.
But you do need to be intentional.
When your tone is thoughtful, steady, and clear, your team reflects it.
When it’s reactive, erratic, or flat, that spreads too.
A 3-Step Tone Reset for Leaders
1. Audit the Room
Next time you walk into a meeting, pause and take a look.
How’s the energy? Are people leaning in or leaning back?
Sometimes the room tells you more than the agenda.
2. Set a New Baseline
You don’t have to overhaul your personality. Just ask:
→ What do I want the tone to be around here?
→ Am I reinforcing it or disrupting it?
Then model that tone intentionally, especially in tense moments.
3. Call It Out (When Needed)
If the energy’s off, don’t ignore it.
Say: “Let’s pause. This feels heavy. What’s going on?”
Or: “This feels flat. Let’s reset.”
It’s leadership to name what others are feeling but won’t say.
Takeaway:
Your team doesn’t just follow your words.
They follow your tone.
Lead with presence, not pressure.
With steadiness, not spikes.
The consistency is what builds trust.
💬 READER QUESTION
Q: “How do I raise the energy without forcing it?”
You don’t have to fake enthusiasm. You just need to show up engaged.
→ Ask real questions
→ Bring clarity into the room
→ Show that you care about the outcome
Energy rises when leadership is present.
Not louder, just more locked in.
~ Chad Todd
This week, take one team moment and use it as a tone check. What energy are you bringing into the room? What are you unintentionally reinforcing? Shift one thing, and watch what changes.
P.S.
If you’re serious about building a stronger culture and better leadership systems, check out Culture Wheel.
It’s the platform leaders go to hone their skills and build engaged teams and simplify performance reviews.
Want to learn more? Click the link below: