By Sénamé Agbossou

“If you’re always the one pushing projects forward…”

Roxane’s message came through LinkedIn at 11:47 PM on a Tuesday: “I’m exhausted from being the only one who seems to care about getting things done. My team thinks I’m too intense, but if I don’t push, nothing happens. How do I lead without burning everyone out?”

Sound familiar?

If you’re nodding as you read this, you might be what I call a Driver: one of the five Work Energy Types I’ve identified in my years of coaching executives. And while your drive is likely your greatest asset, it might also be your biggest leadership challenge.

Meet the Driver: Roxane’s Story

Roxane runs operations for a tech startup in Amsterdam. Brilliant, decisive, and results-oriented, she’d built a reputation for delivering the impossible. When the company needed to launch their product six weeks early to beat a competitor, Roxane made it happen. When their biggest client threatened to leave over service issues, Roxane personally fixed every problem in 72 hours.

But by the time she reached out to me, Roxane was leading a demoralized team with 40% turnover in eight months.

“I don’t understand it,” she said during our first conversation. “I give them clear goals, I remove obstacles, I celebrate wins. But they say I’m ‘too much.’ How is wanting excellence too much?”

Roxane was experiencing what I call the Driver’s Paradox: the very intensity that makes you effective can create the conditions that make you less effective.

Understanding the Driver Energy Pattern

Drivers are energized by momentum, achievement, and breakthrough results. They see what needs to happen and make it happen, often before others have finished discussing whether it’s a good idea. In the Ubuntu philosophy of “I am because we are,” Drivers serve as the catalysts who transform collective potential into actual outcomes.

But here’s what Roxane was missing: leadership isn’t just about getting results through your own energy; it’s about creating conditions where others can contribute their natural energy to achieve shared results.

Core Driver Strengths:

• Action-oriented: You take charge when others hesitate
• Decisive: You make confident decisions that keep projects moving
• Focused: You cut through complexity to what really matters
• High standards: You drive excellence in yourself and others

Energy Sources:

• Clear, urgent goals with real deadlines
• High-pressure execution where stakes matter
• Visible, direct impact from your efforts
• Breaking through obstacles and getting teams unstuck

The Driver’s Growth Edge

Three months into our coaching work, Roxane had a breakthrough moment. During a team retrospective, her lead developer Rebecca said something that changed everything:

“Roxane, your energy is incredible, and it’s what makes our impossible deadlines possible. But sometimes I feel like a passenger in a car that’s going too fast. I want to contribute more than just hanging on.”

Roxane realized she’d been leading like a solo performer rather than an orchestra conductor. Her natural Driver energy was getting results, but it wasn’t creating space for others to bring their unique contributions.

The Ubuntu Shift: From Push to Pull

We worked on what I call the Ubuntu Shift: moving from pushing your energy onto others to creating conditions where everyone’s energy can flow toward shared goals.

Here’s what Roxane learned:

1. Channel Intensity into Inspiration

Instead of: “We need this done by Friday, no excuses.” Roxane learned: “Here’s why this Friday deadline is crucial for our customers, and here’s how your piece makes the whole thing possible.”

2. Create Space for Different Energy Types

Roxane discovered her team included a Sensemaker (Rebecca) who needed time to understand the strategic context, and a Connector (James) who worked best when he understood how his work affected others.

Instead of seeing their different pace as resistance, Roxane learned to see it as complementary energy that could strengthen the final result.

3. Build Sustainable Momentum

The old Roxane would sprint until she collapsed, then wonder why her team couldn’t keep up. The new Roxane learned to think like a train conductor: building momentum gradually, making sure everyone was aboard, and maintaining steady progress toward the destination.

Practical Strategies for Driver Leaders

If you recognize yourself in Roxane’s story, here are three strategies that can help you lead from your Driver energy without burning out your team:

Strategy 1: Lead with Context, Not Just Urgency

Before pushing for quick decisions, take 60 seconds to explain why speed matters and how each person’s contribution connects to the larger goal. Your team needs to understand the “why” behind your “what.”

Strategy 2: Partner with Complementary Types

Identify team members whose strengths cover your blind spots. Roxane partnered with Rebecca (her Sensemaker) for strategic thinking and James (her Connector) for team buy-in. She still drove results, but now she had copilots who helped her navigate more skillfully.

Strategy 3: Build Recovery Rhythms

High-intensity work requires recovery periods. Roxane learned to build “processing time” into projects; moments where the team could reflect, adjust, and prepare for the next sprint. This actually increased their overall speed because it prevented burnout and rework.

The Results

Six months later, Roxane’s team had not only met every major deadline but had also achieved the highest employee satisfaction scores in the company. More importantly, Roxane felt more energized than ever because she was getting results through collective energy rather than just her own.

“I thought being a Driver meant doing everything myself,” Roxane reflected. “But I learned that real leadership is about creating momentum that others want to be part of.”

The Driver’s Gift to the Team

In the Ubuntu worldview, every energy type brings something essential to the collective. Drivers bring the spark that ignites action, the urgency that prevents endless discussion, and the standards that ensure excellence.

Your drive isn’t something to tone down. It’s something to channel more strategically. The goal isn’t to become less driven but to become more aware of when and how you apply your natural intensity.

Recognition Signs: Are You a Driver?

You might be a Driver if:

• You feel energized by tight deadlines and high-stakes situations
• You get frustrated when teams move too slowly or get stuck in analysis
• You naturally take charge when leadership is needed
• You push yourself and others toward ambitious goals
• You feel most alive when you’re creating momentum and delivering results

Your Next Steps

If you’re a Driver, I want you to try this experiment over the next week:

• Before pushing for quick action on your next project, pause and ask: “Who else needs to contribute to this success, and what do they need from me to bring their best energy?”
• Then create space for those needs while maintaining your focus on results.

Remember: your drive is a gift, not just to you, but to everyone who benefits from the momentum and excellence you create. The Ubuntu perspective reminds us that your individual energy becomes most powerful when it elevates the collective energy around you.

Looking Ahead

In our next post, we’ll explore what happens when energy types are misaligned; specifically, why Sensemakers feel exhausted in fast-paced environments and what this teaches us about creating teams where everyone can thrive.

But first, I’d love to hear from you:

• Drivers: How do you balance your natural intensity with your team’s need for sustainable pace?
• Non-Drivers: What’s it like working with a Driver leader? What helps you contribute your best energy alongside their drive?

Do you recognize the Driver pattern in yourself or someone you work with?