How you share your energy with others has a huge impact on how you're perceived, both at work and in your personal life.
That's why bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch says that in order to succeed, you need to develop a clear understanding of how you impact those around you, and whether you might need to make adjustments to your behavior.
"When you get right down to it, there are really just two types of people in the world," she tells CNBC Make It. "And for the sake of your career, you better figure out which one you are."
She says that everyone can be categorized as one type or the other: an energy-giver, or an energy-taker.
"You've definitely seen both," Welch says. "Energy-givers are filled with positivity, they're solution-focused, they always leave you feeling invigorated. Energy-takers, with their negativity or neediness, or both — they tend to suck the oxygen out of the room."
If you're an energy-giver, she says you're likely to go far in your career because of your encouraging outlook and approach to others. If you're an energy-taker, you may have a rough road ahead, and Welch says you'll likely need to compensate your bad energy with a huge amount of intelligence.
To determine which type of person you are, she says you should ask yourself these three questions:
1. When was the last time I encouraged someone?
Welch says one key trait of energy-givers is that they have no problem pouring their energy into others' success, without an agenda attached. Energy-takers, on the other hand, are often just concerned with themselves.
Ask yourself when you last encouraged someone freely, in a situation in which you had nothing to gain from their advancement.
2. Do I initiate group events?
According to Welch, energy-givers are eager to do things with other people, and will often initiate activities like a weekend hiking trip, a holiday gathering or even a small pizza party.
Energy-takers rarely step up to plan the events, but will tag along for the fun.
3. Do I think people are generally good or evil?
Yes, there are good and bad people in the world, but Welch says the difference between an energy-taker and an energy-giver is that the latter person is an optimist who sees bad people as only a minority in the overall population.
Meanwhile, energy-takers rarely notice the good in others. Rather, Welch says they often view life and work as "a rigged game to be out-smarted."
If you determine that you're an an energy-giver — great. Welch says you're already on track to having a successful and fulfilling career.
But if these questions have forced you to admit that you're an energy-taker, Welch warns you've got some "heavy psychological lifting to do" if you want to change for the better.
Suzy Welch is the co-founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute and a noted business journalist, TV commentator and public speaker.
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