Fuel Before You Lead: What Creativity Needs Most
- Liza Engel
- Jun 2
- 5 min read
We talk a lot about burnout, balance, and boundaries — especially as leaders. But let’s be honest: most of us are still trying to navigate exhaustion while juggling the many roles of life.
And what is the first thing to go when energy drops?
Creativity.
Creative energy isn't just helpful, whether you’re preparing a keynote, leading a team brainstorming, or trying to solve one of those slippery problems no one else seems to see. It’s essential. And it’s the first to vanish when your foundation is cracked.
Cue the Energy Pyramid, which a dear friend introduced to me many years ago. And now I am passing this on to you.
Step One: Build From the Base
Like Maslow’s hierarchy, the Energy Pyramid starts with the basics — but it has a sharper edge:
Physical → Emotional → Mental → Spiritual
If your physical energy is low, the rest is on shaky ground. Forget purpose, joy, or innovation. Your body is the container. If the container is cracked, nothing holds.
I track my energy subtly — my Apple Watch gives me trends, not pressure. I journal when I’m in rhythm. But the clearest signal? When I stop doing those things altogether over an extended period. That’s my red flag.
And yet, even knowing all this… I still fall into the trap of pushing through.
Until recently, I heard something that reset entirely how I think about energy — and creativity.
Sleep: The Underrated Superpower
I recently attended a talk by sleep and performance neuroscientist Els van der Helm and one of the statistics she shared stopped me in my tracks:
“If you regularly get only 7 hours of sleep instead of 8, you are functioning with the cognitive equivalent of a 0.1% blood alcohol level.”
Yes, you read that right.
That’s the legal limit — for being drunk.
No wonder creativity suffers. Our prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for executive function, emotional regulation, and, yes, creative problem-solving — gets fogged up. What we mistake for “lack of ideas” or “low motivation” is often just exhaustion dressed in a power suit.
And the catch? You can’t recover by sleeping in once or twice on the weekend. It’s the accumulated effect that counts.
Something clicked when I heard that, combined with the fact that sleep impacts how social we are.
So here’s my rule of thumb:
When life feels heavy, and creativity disappears — sleep first.
Nine times out of ten, the clarity I was chasing the day before arrived quietly the next morning. Sometimes, it’s already waiting for me in that gentle, half-awake state — the in-between space where the world is still quiet, and the mind is just beginning to stir.
It’s in that space that many of my best ideas are born. Some of my most creative thoughts have whispered into my mind before opening my eyes.
It feels like magic.
But it’s not magic.
It’s rest.
And it works.
Thank you, Els. If you don’t know her work, you can sign up for her newsletter. Sleep better.
A Creativity Crisis Is Often a Sleep Crisis
I used to think a weekend recharge meant carving out time to work on the big, strategic stuff — a full or half day to step back, reflect, and map out what’s next. And don’t get me wrong — I still love a good strategic reset.
But I’ve learned that strategy only works when your foundation is solid.
If the base of the pyramid — your physical and emotional energy — is crumbling, no amount of visioning will lift you out of the fog.
Restoring creative energy doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be foundational — and consistent:
Sleep before strategy
Movement before motivation
Connection before collaboration
Purpose before performance
When I’m feeling off, I know it’s time to check:
Am I sleeping well? Have I moved today? Have I laughed? Have I had a meaningful conversation?
Fueling the Leader in You
As someone who designs leadership workshops and delivers keynotes, I’ve seen it over and over again:
You can have the most brilliant content in the world, but if your participants walk in tired, stressed, and half-present, your impact will drop by 70%—at least.
This is why energy management isn’t just a self-care tool — it’s a leadership practice.
We often treat “work” and “life” as separate streams to balance. But we’re not divided beings. We’re whole systems. Interconnected. Emotional. And yes, more than a little fragile when sleep-deprived.
Beyond a good nights rest, one of my most valuable habits isn’t about doing more — it’s about zooming out to revisit the big picture.
When I feel stuck in tension or tangled in overthinking, I picture myself rising above the moment, looking down on the system, and seeing the dots connect.
Zooming out gives you perspective.
Zooming in gives you action.
Impactful leadership requires both.
A Quick Energy Reset
Yes, sleep is a long game. But what if you need a lift in the next five minutes? Try music.
Before stepping on stage for a recent keynote, Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” came on. I wasn’t expecting it — but the timing was perfect. My energy shifted instantly. I smiled bigger. Stood taller. (Ok, I actually imagined myself line dancing, but we’ll leave that story for another time.)
It’s a simple ritual, but it works as a quick fix:
Find your song. The one that moves something in you.
Play it before a big moment. Let it change the room — starting with you.
Try This Today
Zoom Out: Step back next time you hit a block. Imagine you’re coaching someone else through it. What advice would you give?
Before you Zoom In to action, check your batteries.
Sleep Audit: Track your sleep for one week. Not perfectly — observe. Are you getting close to 8
hours of sleep? What’s the impact on your mood and creativity?
Energy Pyramid Check-In - take a moment to tune in:
Physical: How does your body feel right now? Energized, depleted, tense, relaxed?
Emotional: What emotions are most present for you today? How are they shaping your energy?
Mental: Is your mind clear, cluttered, sharp, or foggy? What thoughts are most persistent?
Spiritual: Do you feel connected—to purpose, values, or something greater than yourself?
Closing Check-In Questions:
Which of these energy levels feels the most depleted?
What’s one small action you can take to nourish that part today?
And when it comes to energy, I’ll leave you with the words of my late Uncle Freddie:
“Never let the gas tank go below half. You never know what you might run into.”
Final Thought
Creativity isn’t reserved for artists.
It’s the fuel of leadership. Of communication. Of change.
But, like any fuel, it runs out.
Don’t wait until your tank is empty.
Fuel before you lead.
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