Contagious Culture

About the Author

Anese Cavanaugh is a leadership and collaboration advisor to leaders and organizations primarily in the design, service, and innovation spaces. She is the creator of the IEP Method® (Intentional Energetic Presence), which focuses on leadership, presence, and impact. Cavanaugh writes the "Showing Up" column on Inc.com and contributes to other publications such as The Huffington Post and CEO.com. Her work emphasizes the importance of showing up fully and intentionally in all aspects of life and leadership.

Main Idea

"Contagious Culture" by Anese Cavanaugh explores how leaders can create thriving organizational cultures by intentionally showing up with energy, purpose, and presence. The book introduces the IEP Method®, which helps individuals take control of their influence and impact, creating a positive and dynamic working environment that encourages growth, productivity, and innovation.

Table of Contents

1. The Fundamentals of Showing Up
2. Crafting Intention and Creating Impact
3. Showing Up for You
4. Setting Yourself Up for Success
5. Showing Up for Others
6. Growing Leaders
7. Life-Giving Engagements, Agreements, and Meetings
8. Showing Up for Culture

The Fundamentals of Showing Up

"Showing up" is a fundamental concept in leadership and culture creation. It involves being fully present, intentional, and engaged in every interaction. How you show up affects everything from personal relationships to organizational dynamics. Your presence, energy, and intention create an impact that resonates throughout your environment.

"How you show up will impact everything." - Anese Cavanaugh

One of the key points Cavanaugh makes is that you have control over your fate. By taking accountability for your actions and impact, you can change your culture, team dynamics, and overall satisfaction in life. Your influence starts with your awareness, presence, and intention.

• Intention: What you want to achieve.
• Energy: How you take care of yourself and what you bring to the table.
• Presence: How people experience you and how present you are.
• Action: The steps you take to accomplish your goals.
• Impact: The overall result of your efforts.

For example, consider a team where two members, Julie and George, consistently bring negative energy to meetings. Their attitude affects the entire team's productivity and morale. By addressing their presence and intention, the team can shift from a negative to a positive dynamic.

Crafting Intention and Creating Impact

Cavanaugh emphasizes the importance of setting clear intentions and understanding the impact you want to create in every interaction. This involves being mindful of the outcomes you desire, the emotional impact on others, and how you need to show up to achieve these outcomes.

"How you enter your state of being entering these meetings and conversations will have a big influence on how easy and effective each conversation is." - Anese Cavanaugh

The framework for creating intentional impact includes the following steps: