My other half showed me Dr. David R. Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness, and I was hooked. I will not dive here in what Dr. Hawkins so wonderfully said. For those curious about the original work, Hawkins’ Power vs. Force and Transcending the Levels of Consciousness offer a deep insight into the scale and its transformative potential.

What if energy — not effort — defined the future of work?

Numbers tells us stories about performance, energy tells us the health of the culture, and energy doesn’t lie. Dr. David R. Hawkins introduced the Map of Consciousness as a scale for human awareness, originally designed for personal growth. But, its applications stretch far beyond the individual.

So, I asked: What if we adapted this map to the workplace? What if energy — not just effort — is shaping leadership, culture, and performance?

Here’s my take: The Workplace Consciousness Pyramid
It’s not just a model. It’s more as a mirror. And this because when performance is measured in numbers, culture is measured in energy and, as I said, energy doesn’t lie.

Base Layer: Survival & Resistance (<200)

Is the Energy that drain performance and erode trust. It is rarely show up in dashboards — but not always invisible. It’s hidden in turnover, and disengagement.

Levels & Manifestations:

• 20–75 (Shame, Guilt, Apathy, Grief): Fear of feedback, burnout, learned helplessness, emotional withdrawal
• 100–125 (Fear, Desire): Micromanagement, toxic ambition, KPI obsession, comparison culture
• 150–175 (Anger, Pride): Blame games, ego-driven decisions, resistance to change
• Leadership Insight: If most decisions are made from fear or pride, the culture is reactive — not resilient.

Leadership Insight: If most decisions are made from fear or pride, the culture is reactive — not resilient.

Middle Layer: Growth & Collaboration (200–400)

The performance zone — where teams shows courage, shows clarity, and begin to thrive.

Levels & Manifestations:

• 200 (Courage): Willingness to try, psychological safety, experimentation
• 250 (Neutrality): Open-mindedness, conflict resolution, flexibility
• 310 (Willingness): Proactive support, mentoring, ownership
• 350 (Acceptance): Strategic alignment, emotional intelligence, maturity
• 400 (Reason): Data-driven decisions, systems thinking, clarity in complexity

Leadership Insight: This is where dashboards stop showing dry numbers and start to tell stories, welcoming feedback which becomes fuel.

Top Layer: Vision & Legacy (500+)

Rare but powerful. These energies transform organizations and inspire movements.

Levels & Manifestations:

• 500 (Love): Purpose-led leadership, empathy, servant culture
• 540 (Joy): Flow states, creative autonomy, contagious enthusiasm
• 600+ (Peace, Enlightenment): Visionary leadership, legacy building, transcendent clarity

Leadership Insight: These are the cultures that don’t just perform — they evolve. They attract talent not just through benefits, but through meaning.

Closing Thoughts

Companies already living in these upper layers?
Well… Think Google (psychological safety), Microsoft (empathetic leadership), Starbucks (servant culture) just to name a few.

They attract talent not through perks, but through purpose.

Culture isn’t built in meetings. It’s built in the energy between them.

Adapted from Dr. David R. Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness (originally introduced in Power vs. Force). This workplace interpretation is my own perspective and not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr. Hawkins or his estate.