418: How to gain synergy with your team’s energy - with Vicki Landers

Why do two people experience the exact same moment at work and walk away with completely different stories about what just happened?

That’s often where tension begins.
Misread signals.
Frustration.
Defensiveness.
Disconnection.

But here’s the challenge.
It’s easy to assume someone else is the problem.

When really, a lot of what’s happening comes down to the lens each person is bringing into the moment.

And when you understand that, you can communicate more clearly, work through tension faster, and create stronger team synergy.

My special guest today is Vicki Landers, and she’s simplifying how to gain synergy with your team’s energy. Here’s how.

My special guest today is Vicki Landers and she’s simplifying how to gain synergy with your team’s energy.

We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including:

What the Energy Leadership Index is and how it helps us better understand communication patterns, stress responses, and the default ways people show up at work.
What she means by the “lens” we choose at work, and how that lens shapes the way we interpret other people’s behavior.
A simple breakdown of the different levels or lenses people move through, and what each one can sound like in real-life team communication, including:
- Level 1 - Victim
- Level 2 - Conflict
- Level 3 - Tolerance
- Level 4 - Compassion
- Level 5 - Curiosity & Opportunity
- Level 6 - Flow
- Level 7 - Enlightenment
How this framework can help you stop taking things personally when a coworker seems defensive, distracted, frustrated, or hard to connect with.
And two or three small shifts you can make this week to listen better, communicate more clearly, and create more synergy with your team’s energy.

Q: Are you wanting to learn how to gain synergy with your team’s energy? If yes, this one is for you.

It’s time to #DoTheThing!

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<What’s catching my eye this week>

Thank you to our sponsors: NTX SHRM Annual Conference

Catch Mary speak at the North Texas SHRM Annual Conference: Agents of Change, happening April 27th and 28th, 2026, at the Embassy Suites Denton Convention Center in North Texas. She is the Day 2 keynote speaker on April 28th, the very same day her new book, Squash the Sunday Scaries, comes out. Come meet her there — she’ll be signing books right after her morning talk. Get your tickets now at www.ntxshrm.org, and we will see you there!

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My challenge for you this week:

How are you going to take what you’ve learned in today’s episode and take action to gain synergy with your team’s energy? What’s one thing you’ll do differently? Share it with me, privately or publicly. Snap a photo of you doing the thing, and send me a DM over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) for added accountability and support!

Links, books and apps mentioned:

Resource: Find Vicki Landers on LinkedIn - click here

Book: Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life - Louise Aronson

Resource: 50% discount for listeners of The Simplifiers Podcast on an ELI (Energy Leadership Index Assessment) and a 60-minute debrief with Vicki - simply email her at vicki@vickilanders.com and mention SIMPLIFIERS in the subject line. Offer is good for the lifetime of this podcast! - Vicki Landers

Podcast: How to survive a toxic workplace, featuring Theresa Chilcoat - The Simplifiers Podcast

Podcast: How to practice empathy without burning out, featuring Joseph Cope - The Simplifiers Podcast

Podcast: How to #dothething (guided visualization) - The Simplifiers Podcast

Mary’s New Book Available for Pre-Order on Amazon NOW!

My new book, Squash the Sunday Scaries: A Modern Playbook to Rebuild Trust, Transform Culture, and Reignite Your Workforce, officially comes out on April 28, 2026 — and you can pre-order it on Amazon now so you’ll be one of the first to get your hands on it that day. It’s written for HR leaders, people managers, and anyone ready to make work better in a practical, human way. If you’ve been looking for simple tools to improve employee experience, rebuild trust, and create better results for your people and your business, this book is for you. Learn more, visit: https://squashthesundayscaries.com

About Vicki Landers:

Vicki Landers, PT, MHA, ACC - She is a physical therapist, professional coach, and speaker who is fascinated by one simple question: Why do two people see the exact same situation completely differently?

Over a career that has included roles as a clinician, supervisor, director, and healthcare strategist, Vicki noticed a powerful pattern—our reactions are often driven by the “lens” we’re wearing in the moment, and most of us don’t even realize it.

Today, through her coaching and speaking, she helps people recognize that lens and create a small but powerful pause. Vicki will simplify the shift from reacting on autopilot to responding with intention—and how that tiny moment of awareness can completely change how we show up in conversations, decisions, and everyday life.

Where Vicki hangs out online:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickilanders

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inprogresscoaching

Website: https://vickilanders.com

Website: https://inprogresscoaching.com

Vicki’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:

Anne Irene Ryan - She is a career coach with a 20-year career in tech who has reviewed thousands of resumes, interviewed hundreds of candidates, and delivered recruiting presentations around the world. She now helps people in tech and other STEM fields identify and communicate their value so they can pursue their career goals with confidence. She is especially passionate about supporting women, minorities, and other traditionally under-recognized professionals to help make STEM more equitable.