Recently, I came across a thought-provoking LinkedIn post by Jesse Pujji about different energy sources that drive us at work. The post talks about how people/leaders rely on different “fuels” to drive themselves and their team.

It resonated deeply with my own journey, making me reflect on how my energy sources have evolved throughout my career. While organizations certainly play a crucial role in creating conducive work environments, this article focuses on something more personal – the energy we choose to run on, and how that choice shapes our entire work experience.

Fear Energy: The Compensator’s Fuel

My first project was a support role monitoring server health and handling bug fixes. Here’s the truth: I barely knew programming. The impostor syndrome was real. So, what did I do?

I compensated with pure fear energy:

• First one to catch server alerts (because I was terrified of missing something)
• Stayed extra hours learning every monitoring tool inside out
• Documented everything obsessively (because I felt I had to prove my worth)
• Took on every bug fix possible (even when I had to learn the fix from scratch)

Did it work? Well, yes. I became really good at support. But I was running on pure anxiety, constantly afraid someone would discover my initial lack of programming knowledge.

Status Energy: The Title Chaser

Then came my Accenture phase. Became a team lead early in my career, then quickly rose to associate manager. Oh, the intoxication of status! I was:

• Proudly introducing myself with my full title at every meeting
• Making decisions just to prove I could make them
• Measuring my worth by my rapid promotions
• Constantly thinking about the next title jump

The titles were real, but the energy driving me wasn’t sustainable. I was leading a team, but was I leading with purpose or just for the status high?

Achievement Energy: The Firefighter’s Rush

There was this one project – absolute chaos when I arrived. The kind of mess that makes senior developers want to update their resumes. I was called in to fix it.

And fix it we did:

• Turned around delivery timelines
• Fixed critical issues
• Got client appreciation
• Made all the metrics green

Classic achievement energy story, right? We hit every target. But here’s the question that haunted me later: Was I doing it for the right reasons? Was I just addicted to the high of fixing things, or was I creating real value?

The Wake-Up Call

The moment of realization wasn’t dramatic. It was quiet. Sitting in my office after another “successful” project turnaround, feeling oddly empty despite all the achievements. Something had to change.

Finding Premium Fuel

Genius Energy: The Natural Flow

I discovered that my real genius zone was:

• Breaking down complex problems into solvable parts
• Connecting technical solutions with business needs
• Seeing patterns in chaos
• Building systems that last

When operating here, work stopped feeling like work. The energy came naturally, without the constant push of fear or pull of status.

Impact Energy: The Real Deal

This is where true satisfaction lives:

• Mentoring team members to grow beyond their current roles
• Creating solutions that actually make users’ lives better
• Building teams that thrive even after I move on
• Solving problems because they need solving, not just for the win

The Transformation

The interesting part? My role didn’t change dramatically. But my energy source did. The same challenges that once drained me began energizing me when I approached them with different fuel.

Signs You’re Running on Toxic Fuel

You might be running on junk fuel if:

• You’re working hard from fear rather than purpose
• Your title matters more than your impact
• You chase wins but feel empty after achieving them
• Success feels hollow despite the metrics showing green

The Premium Fuel Challenge

Here’s what I learned: You can be successful on any kind of fuel, but only certain fuels are sustainable. Try this:

1. Notice what energizes you versus what drains you
2. Pay attention to when your work feels effortless
3. Focus on impact over optics
4. Build on your natural strengths
5. Measure success by value created, not just targets hit

The Bottom Line

Your energy source is your choice. Fear got me through my early days, status drove my middle years, and achievement kept me going. But only when I switched to purpose and impact did I find sustainable success.

The work didn’t change. The fuel did!!