Managing Your Energy to Lead Sustainably with Shubhayan Sanatani

By: Bart Egnal
The last few years have been draining for leaders as pressures have increased from employees under strain, organizations asking more, and the relentlessness of virtual meetings. Many leaders are burning out and finding their level of energy slipping. In this episode, Bart speaks with Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, Pediatric Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist of BC Children’s Hospital about his research into fatigue and how it’s given him insights into what leaders can do to manage their energy sustainably. He explains what to watch for, how to give yourself permission to see the treadmill you’re on, how to do a self-inventory and how to withdraw from some things. In a time where leaders are more burnt out Dr. Sanatani provides practical insights to keep us going and energized.
 
Read more about Dr Sanatani’s work here.
00:54 Teaser
00:14 Show Introduction
00:53 Introducing Shu
01:25 Research into “Energy”
03:35 Diagnosis: Dysautonomia
04:14 Covid causing autonomic dysfunction 
04:54 Young people struggling with fatigue/dizziness 
05:51 Adolescent energy inventory
06:43 Social media
08:49 The aha moment: Often doing a lot more than we realize
10:39 Implications to adults
11:34 Letting go of work
12:00 Responsibility as energy drain
14:08 Impacts to health
15:03 New communication tech is draining 
16:06 Advice from Dr about energy issues
16:33 Look for cues of irritability and lethargy 
18:56 Know when you’ve hit your limits
20:50 Doing inventory of how you’re spending the energy 
22:18 Mindfulness
24:19 After inventory? 
24:29 Acknowledging you have an issue  
24:44 Changing something up
25:10 There’s always something coming down the pipe…
25:31 Get comfortable with stepping back
28:51 How to overcome resistance to change 
32:55 Thank yous
33:18 Outro