(I035) Return On Energy

I started noticing a repeating pattern in conversations.

“It’s just draining.”

“I am low on capacity.”

“I don’t love it, but…”

I can see the energy drain from their words, the shoulders slump, and the body language says it all. These are not just signals of burnout, these are early signs of a misaligned “why.”

Here’s what happens when your “why” is not well defined, you feel a need to defend yourself, or validate something. It leaks energy and it feels like you’re flailing. Here’s the truth, because you are and your words are confirming it.

Have you ever heard of Return on Energy (ROE)? It’s like ROI, which is Return on Investment, but instead, it’s the return on your personal energy. Think reciprocity. Give and receive. 

I started to notice that our work worlds have been built on a one-way street of produce, productivity, and achievement, with very little acknowledgement of the rest and pause needed to honour our natural ebbs and flows.

The Unspoken Law of Reciprocity 🔄

This is where the theme of reciprocity becomes impossible to ignore. It’s not just a nice-to-have; it’s a fundamental cycle, as natural as breathing. You cannot continuously exhale (give energy) without inhaling (receive energy). To do so is to work against your own nature.

This repeating pattern of depletion I was seeing is a direct result of ignoring this cycle. We operate in systems that reward constant output while treating rest and receiving as unproductive luxuries. But nature shows us a different model everywhere we look:

• Seasons: A tree isn't expected to bear fruit in winter. It has seasons of visible growth and seasons of quiet, internal restoration.

• Tides: The ocean doesn't just go out; the ebb is always followed by the flow. One cannot exist without the other.

When our work is reciprocal, the energy we put in comes back to us—as inspiration, fulfillment, or connection. We are in flow. When it’s not, we are simply being drained. The misalignment of our "why" is a sign that the cycle is broken. We are giving to something that gives nothing back.

Recognizing this theme of reciprocity is the first step. The next is to consciously build this give-and-receive cycle into our lives, honouring the truth that sustainable energy is never a straight line—it’s always a circle.

In my book (coming 2025), Ensō, A Tree Still Grows, we explore a simple but powerful idea about the purpose of our growth. We often focus on the roots (our foundation) and the trunk (our strength), but the ultimate expression of a healthy tree is its fruit.

The fruit is the wisdom we cultivate. It’s the hard-won lessons we harvest from our experiences, the insights we gather, and the unique perspective we have to offer. It's the tangible result of our journey.

But our work society demands constant production, we often forget that fruit isn't meant to be hoarded. It's meant to be shared to nourish others and to seed new growth. The question then becomes: how do we do this intentionally?

The answer lies in a practice I call the F.R.U.I.T. Cycle 🍎. It’s a framework for consciously participating in the natural, reciprocal flow of wisdom.

The F.R.U.I.T. Cycle

This cycle breaks down the process of cultivating and sharing your unique wisdom into five key actions:

• F - Foster Connections. A tree doesn't grow in isolation; it’s part of an ecosystem. This is about tending to your community. Nurture the relationships that support you and the ones that you, in turn, support.

• R - Recognize Gifts. A tree receives sunlight and rain. We receive mentorship, feedback, and lessons from others. This step is about the humility to acknowledge and truly receive the wisdom that is offered to you.

• U - Understand Energy. A tree has seasons of growth and seasons of rest. This is about understanding your own natural cycles and your Return on Energy (ROE). What activities replenish you so you can continue to grow? What drains you?

• I - Inspire Growth. This is the purpose of the fruit. How can you transform the lessons you’ve learned into a gift for someone else? It’s about sharing your wisdom not as a lecture, but as an offering that inspires growth in others.

• T - Thank and Tribute. This is the act of closing the loop. By showing gratitude and paying tribute to the people and experiences that shaped you, you enrich the soil for future growth—both for yourself and for your community.

The F.R.U.I.T. Cycle is a living practice. It’s how we ensure that as we grow, we are also contributing to the health of the entire forest.

This is the work we do inside the Human Impact Kata at Ensō Mindset. We build presence. We train rhythm. We root into repetition and self-trust, so that you don’t have to overthink your leadership. You become it.

We begin again this September. Learn more in the next webinar.

Join me in August for Culture Kata - Story, Presence, and the Way You Connect

And if you’ve been giving so much—your time, your energy, your vision—and still feel like the return doesn’t match the effort, I invite you to sit with this; 

When’s the last time you uncovered your Why?

You already give generously. But how often do you ask yourself: What is the return on my truth?

Because when your why is aligned, your return becomes exponential.

This is the work I guide leaders through: Helping you reclaim your voice, refine your why, and support you to align it with your team.

Ensō...a new perspective unfolds.