What 500+ Leaders Are Teaching Us About Energy Alignment

Three weeks ago, I launched the Work Energy Types Assessment, and the response has been beyond anything I expected.

Over 500 leaders from across Europe and beyond have discovered their Work Energy Type, and the insights emerging from their results are reshaping how I think about leadership development and team effectiveness.

Today, I want to share what we’re learning, and why these discoveries matter for every leader navigating today’s complex work environment.

The Surprising Patterns

Discovery #1: Most Leaders Are Energy Misaligned

68% of assessment takers reported that their current role requires them to operate outside their primary energy type for more than half their time.

Edith, a COO from London, captured this perfectly: “I took the quiz and discovered I’m a Connector, but 80% of my role is pure execution and problem-solving. No wonder I feel drained even though I love the company.”

This isn’t about being in the wrong job, it’s about understanding how to structure your role to maximize your natural energy while still meeting organizational needs.

Discovery #2: The Ubuntu Effect is Real

Teams that take the assessment together report immediate improvements in collaboration. When everyone understands not just their own energy type but their colleagues’ types as well, friction decreases and productivity increases.

James, who leads a product team in Berlin, shared: “We had one Explorer, two Builders, one Connector, and one Sensemaker. Before the assessment, our Explorer felt stifled and our Sensemaker felt rushed. Now we structure our sprints to include innovation time for the Explorer and strategic review time for the Sensemaker. Our output has increased 30% because everyone’s contributing from their energy zone.”

Discovery #3: Context Changes Everything

Several leaders discovered that their energy type manifests differently in different contexts. Maria, a startup founder from Brussels, explained: “I’m a Driver when it comes to business development, but I’m definitely a Sensemaker when it comes to product strategy. Understanding this helps me structure my days better.”

This reinforces the Ubuntu principle that our energy doesn’t exist in isolation—it flows in relationship with our environment, our colleagues, and our purpose.

The Most Powerful Insights

“I Finally Understand Why Certain Projects Drain Me”

Alex, a marketing director, discovered he was a primary Connector with Explorer tendencies. “I always thought I was bad at execution-heavy work. Turns out, I just need more collaboration and creative variety built into the execution phase.”

“My Team Makes So Much More Sense Now”

Roxane, the Driver leader we featured in a previous post, had her entire team take the assessment. “I was trying to manage everyone like they were Drivers. Once I understood that Rebecca is a Sensemaker who needs processing time, and David is a Builder who needs clear systems, everything changed. I’m still driving results, but now I’m doing it in a way that brings out everyone’s best energy.”

“I Stopped Trying to Fix My ‘Weaknesses'”

Raphael, our Sensemaker from last week’s post, shared: “For years, I tried to become more decisive and action-oriented because that’s what I thought leadership required. The assessment helped me realize that strategic thinking and careful analysis aren’t weaknesses to overcome: they’re strengths to leverage.”

The Three-Month Follow-Up

I’ve been following up with early assessment takers to understand the longer-term impact of their insights. Here’s what’s emerging:

Improved job satisfaction: 78% report feeling more energized at work after making small adjustments based on their results.

Better team relationships: 85% say understanding their colleagues’ energy types has improved their working relationships.

Clearer career direction: 92% feel more confident about what types of roles and projects to pursue.

But the most meaningful feedback isn’t in the statistics, it’s in the stories.

Ubuntu Stories from the Community

The Transformed Team Dynamic

A management consulting team in Amsterdam discovered they had four Drivers and one Builder. “We were constantly steamrolling our Builder colleague without realizing it,” shared team lead Maria. “Once we understood her energy type, we started building in structure and planning time. Our project quality improved dramatically because we stopped treating thorough preparation as a bottleneck.”

The Career Pivot

An Explorer working in traditional banking realized why he felt so drained despite career success. “I thought something was wrong with me because I couldn’t get excited about optimizing existing processes. Learning I’m an Explorer helped me transition to innovation strategy, where I’m using the same skills but in an environment that feeds my energy.”

The Leadership Evolution

A Connector who’d been promoted to CEO struggled with the isolation of leadership until she understood her energy type. “I restructured my role to include more team development and collaborative decision-making. I’m still making the tough calls, but I’m doing it in a way that aligns with how I naturally lead.”

What the Assessment Reveals About Modern Work

The patterns emerging from 500+ responses tell a story about the current state of leadership and teamwork:

We’re optimizing for the wrong things. Many organizations structure roles around tasks rather than energy, missing opportunities for exponential performance improvements.

We’re undervaluing complementary strengths. Teams often see different work styles as problems to solve rather than assets to leverage.

We’re burning out our best people. High performers are often promoted into roles that require them to operate outside their energy type, leading to decreased effectiveness and increased turnover.

Ready to Join the Discovery?

If you haven’t taken the assessment yet and want to understand your Work Energy Type, the link is still available. More importantly, if you’re leading a team, consider having everyone take it together.

The real transformation doesn’t happen just from individual insight; it happens when teams understand their collective energy dynamics and learn to optimize for what I call Ubuntu Flow: the state where individual energies combine to create collective momentum that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Take the assessment here: [Assessment Link]

Your Experience Matters

Whether you’ve already taken the assessment or you’re planning to, I want to hear from you:

• What patterns have you noticed about energy and effectiveness in your own work?
• If you’ve taken the assessment, what insight surprised you most?
• How might understanding your team’s energy types change how you approach your next project?

Your experiences and insights help all of us understand how to create work environments where everyone can thrive.