A research-backed assessment · Energy Leadership Index® (ELI)
See where your energy is today
The ELI measures the type and quality of your energy: how you see and respond to the world on a typical day, and how that shifts under stress. It gives you a clear baseline of where you are today, so you can see how your energy is working for you, or against you.
New here? We recommend reading our free guide, Is Stress Running Your Career?, first. It shows how stress changes the way you think and respond, so your ELI results will make more sense. Get the free guide →
What the ELI is
A clear picture of how you show up, especially under pressure
The Energy Leadership Index® is an online assessment developed by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). It shows how you show up across seven levels of energy, how you react under stress and how satisfied you are across areas of your life.
It’s a self-awareness and coaching tool, not a clinical or diagnostic test.
There are no right or wrong answers, and no good or bad results. Seeing your patterns clearly takes out the guesswork, and a lot of the self-blame.
Your report
What the ELI shows you
Your Energetic Profile
How you show up on a good day, and how much of each of the seven levels you naturally use.
Your Stress Reaction
Your automatic response under stress, before you choose how to act.
Your energy and satisfaction
Your overall energy level, plus how satisfied you are in 14 areas of life.
Understanding your results
The 7 levels of energy
Your report shows how much of each level you use. Each one is a different way of seeing and responding to the same situation. We all use all seven, and none of them is wrong.
Levels 1–2 are draining energy: a short-term push that narrows what you can see. Levels 3–7 are constructive energy, and open up more options.
Your boss hands you a last-minute project with a short deadline. How do you respond?
Tap a level to see how it might sound.
You believe your boss is out to get you and doesn’t care about your life outside of work or the other priorities you’re working on.
You get mad and stew in frustration, inwardly (or outwardly!) cursing your boss for not giving you proper time to do your job.
You let it go (while maybe rolling your eyes a little) and hope you can just get through the rest of the day.
You jump into action, asking your boss what else you can take off their plate, even if taking on too much may lead to burnout.
You ask clarifying questions, get input from your team and agree on a way forward that’s a win-win for everyone involved.
You know it will all work out. You’ll complete the task while your team and organization keep creating and innovating.
You see projects and deadlines as ideas people choose to live by. From that understanding, you consciously create your experience.
Graphics, level descriptions and examples from iPEC’s Energy Leadership Index® materials. © 2025 iPEC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
What a report can look like
What this tells us: on a good day, this person has access to a wide range of responses. Under pressure, most of that range drops away, and they’re likely to feel stuck, powerless or frustrated. That’s not a flaw. It’s a pattern, and once you can see it, you can work with it.
Sample charts from an Energy Leadership Index® report, shown unmodified. © 2010–2024 iPEC. All rights reserved. Your report shows your own results, plus your overall energy level and life satisfaction.
In their words
What people say about the ELI
I felt validated and appreciated… I not only have a deeper sense of self-confidence but a deeper sense of self-love and understanding.
The ELI helped me confirm patterns blocking me from success. Now I’m using what I’ve learned to show up authentically and powerfully in my business!
ELI testimonials shared by iPEC.
Backed by research
What the research shows
The ELI has been studied using nine years of data from thousands of coaching clients who took it before and after coaching.
people in 132 countries have completed the ELI. Its scores are consistent over time (test-retest correlation of 0.87).1
of 2,545 clients had a predominantly constructive energy level after working with a Core Energy coach. On average, energy rose significantly.1
Under stress, the share of draining energy dropped after coaching, in a study of 695 clients.2
of the rise in clients’ life satisfaction was explained by the increase in their energy level.1
At work
In a study of 1,305 full-time professionals, clients’ satisfaction with work rose significantly in their first year of coaching. The biggest gains were in work/life balance and time management.3
For resilience and early burnout
A 2025 white paper from the American Society for Health Care Risk Management describes Core Energy coaching as one strategy for building professional resilience, and coaching as a helpful step in the early stages of burnout.4
A note on the research: studies 1 to 3 were conducted by iPEC, which developed the ELI, using data from its own coaching clients. They are not independent studies, and results vary from person to person.
Is This You?
The ELI is a good place to start if…
- You feel drained, stuck or less confident than you used to, at work and at home.
- You’re weighing whether to stay, change your role or leave, and want to decide clearly.
- You want to understand how you react under pressure, and why.
- You read Is Stress Running Your Career? and want to see your own patterns.
How it works
Four simple steps
- 1
Take the assessment
After payment, you’ll get an email with a link to the online assessment. It takes about 20 minutes, on your own time.
- 2
Get your report
Your results are emailed to both you and me: your Energetic Profile, Stress Reaction, energy level and satisfaction snapshot.
- 3
Debrief with me
You’ll get a link to schedule a 60–90 minute one-on-one debrief on Zoom.
- 4
Decide what’s next
You keep a summary, and we decide together whether coaching is the right next step.
What you leave with
- A clear picture of where your energy is today
- Your patterns under stress, named and explained
- An introduction to your energy drainers, boosters and blockers
- A summary to keep, and an idea of where to focus first
The beginning, not the whole journey
The ELI gives you awareness. Lasting change comes from using that awareness over time, which is what coaching is for. The assessment on its own doesn’t transform your energy, but it shows you exactly where to start.
Questions
What happens after I pay?
You’ll receive an email with a link to the online assessment, which takes about 20 minutes. Once you complete it, your results are emailed to both you and me, so we’re looking at the same report. You’ll then receive a link to schedule your debrief.
How long is the debrief?
About 60 to 90 minutes, one-on-one on Zoom. We walk through your results together, talk about what they mean for you, and decide what comes next.
Is the ELI backed by research?
Yes. Studies of the ELI found that its scores are reliable and consistent over time (test-retest correlation of 0.87), and that each part of the assessment measures the level of energy it’s meant to.1 In studies of thousands of coaching clients who took the ELI before and after coaching, energy levels rose significantly, and those increases were linked to higher life and work satisfaction.1,2,3 These studies were conducted by iPEC, which developed the ELI, and aren’t independent.
Can I get a copy of the research?
Yes. Email lala@ownthechair.com with “ELI Report request” as the subject line, and I’ll send it to you.
How is it different from a personality test?
A personality test describes traits that tend to stay the same. The ELI measures your attitude: how you show up on a typical day, and how you respond under stress. Unlike personality, that can change, which is what coaching works on.4
Is the ELI a clinical test?
No. It’s a self-awareness and coaching tool. It isn’t a diagnosis, and it isn’t medical or mental health advice. If stress is affecting your health, please talk with your doctor or a licensed therapist.
Can I get a “bad” result?
No. There are no right or wrong answers, and no good or bad results. Every level of energy has advantages. The report shows how you tend to respond, so you can choose more often.
Do I have to sign up for coaching afterwards?
No. The debrief stands on its own. If you’d like to keep going, we talk about what that could look like.
Who administers the ELI?
I do. I’m an iPEC-certified coach and Energy Leadership Index® Master Practitioner, trained and certified to administer and debrief the ELI.
Ready to see where your energy is?
If you haven’t read our free guide, Is Stress Running Your Career?, we recommend starting there. Then start with the ELI, or book a free call if you’d like to talk it through.
References
- 1Waldorf, L. & Atwill, K. (2025). Increasing Leadership Potential & Life Satisfaction with Core Energy Coaching™ (Core Energy Coaching™ Study 2022). Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).
- 2Waldorf, L. (2018). Your Core Energy Determines Your Life Potential. iPEC.
- 3Waldorf, L. Core Energy Coaching™’s Impact on Work Satisfaction, Financial Gain, and Management Promotions. iPEC. Based on ELI data from 2013 to 2021.
- 4O’Sullivan, T., Al Hamamsy, A., Amori, G. & Curtin, M. (2025). Strategies for Promoting Risk Management Professional Resilience. American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM).
The Energy Leadership Index® was developed by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). iPEC®, Energy Leadership® and Energy Leadership Index® are registered trademarks of iPEC, used here with attribution. Own the CHAIR™ is independent of iPEC, and iPEC has not reviewed or endorsed this page. Webcopy and logo used by permission. No reproduction or retransmission is permitted without expressed written consent from iPEC.