Anabolic vs. Catabolic Leaders

Posted on September 12, 2012 by John Eugene Hill, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Each and every one of us is a leader. How well you lead depends on your level of consciousness, or energy. Higher levels of anabolic energy are associated with more effective leadership. Anabolic energy is building energy, and whether in the workplace or at home, great leaders build relationships, teams, families, and businesses. Catabolic energy, on the other hand, is destructive, and catabolic leaders destroy and break down everything around them.

We’ll take a look at the characteristics of anabolic and catabolic leaders to show you how you can become the leader that you want to be.

Let’s look first at the overall style of the catabolic leader. A catabolic leader manages. The definition of “manage” is “to handle, direct, govern, or control in action or use,” and “to dominate or influence.” Catabolic leaders control others. They tell others what to do, and how to do it. The catabolic leader, in keeping control, keeps the other people in the relationship in a non-powerful position – and then most likely complains to everyone around that “I can’t seem to find good help,” and “no one does things as well as I do.”

An anabolic leader, on the other hand, leads. The definition of “lead” – “to go before or with to show the way,” and “to guide in direction, course, and action” sounds supportive and empowering, and it is. The anabolic leader doesn’t control and doesn’t push people, but instead, inspires them by words, action, and by personal example.

“Each of us is each greater and wiser than we appear to be.” Anabolic leaders realize this, and thus, don’t feel the need to tell people what to do, as they realize that everyone has their own answers and gifts.

When a catabolic leader TELLS or DEMANDS that someone do something, most likely, they will respond catabolically – “I won’t,” “I have to,” or “I need to.” When an anabolic leader REQUESTS that someone do something, or ASKS for someone’s input on a project, they’re much more likely to respond with the anabolic “I want to” or “I choose to.” The more anabolic the leader, the greater the probability of success in the task.

Your challenge; as you interact with those around you, think about how much more of an anabolic leader you could be if you led, instead of managed.

According to Webster’s dictionary, “delegate” means to entrust to the care or management of another; to transfer; to assign; to commit, and “participate” means to partake of; to share in; to receive a part of.

Most of us have been taught that delegating is something that we need to do in order to be effective leaders and to get things done. And in fact, that is true – but anabolic leaders take it a step further. When a catabolic leader delegates a task to someone else, the leader, in effect, wipes his or her hands of the task. When an anabolic leader participates in the task with another person, the other person knows that they are supported and valued while they are doing the work. Participating certainly doesn’t mean that the leader needs to do all, most, or even any of the work – it implies being available to other people without hesitation. It means that employees know that the leader is willing to personally do anything that he or she asks them to do.

Let’s take a look at an example of this. Imagine the following scenario; A small business owner is expanding from two retail locations to three. The owner of the company assigns tasks to the key staff. In Catabolic Company A, the owner gets occasional progress reports, but remains out of the picture until everything is done, at which point the staff is either praised or reprimanded based on what they’ve accomplished. In Anabolic Company B, the owner not only follows up frequently with the staff, but is also on hand to pitch in and work alongside them, letting everyone know that he is part of the team, and that he is willing to do whatever he asks them to do. The staff knows where they are at all stages of the project, because the leader has been “in the trenches” with them. In which company are the workers more likely to be engaged and want to do a good job? Which leader is more likely to command respect and loyalty, and inspire greatness in others?

Leading from a pedestal is not as effective as leading by example. How can you show those around you that you are a participant, not merely a delegator?

In our exploration of the characteristics of anabolic and catabolic leaders, so far we’ve determined that anabolic leaders “lead” and “participate,” while catabolic leaders “manage” and “delegate.” Let’s look at another aspect of leadership – how information is passed along to others – to further see the difference between the two types of leaders.

In any type of leadership role – whether as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or as a parent, imparting information to others is an integral and essential part of leading. Catabolic leaders give information, while anabolic leaders share information.

“Giving” means to convey, transmit, assign, or allot. When we give to others, we no longer have ownership of what we give. “Sharing,” on the other hand, means to partake of, use, or experience with others. When we share, we’re still part of the process – we’re “in it” with the other person. It’s similar to the difference between catabolic delegating and anabolic participating.

When a catabolic leader gives information to others, they do so without much explanation, and with little buy-in or justification. An anabolic leader who shares information, however, explains well and gets buy-in, which builds trust, develops rapport, and deepens the connection with the other person.

Which of the following leaders is more likely to get the result they desire?

Catabolic leader – John, I need a rundown of the responsibilities of the people in your department. Please get it to me by tomorrow afternoon, if not sooner.

Anabolic leader – John, we’re considering bringing in some additional staff members to ease some of the production crunch you and your department are under. I’d like a rundown of the responsibilities of the people in your department so that I can see who’s doing what and where some gaps might be. Since I’d like to get this process underway soon, how possible would it be to get this to me by tomorrow afternoon or earlier? After I take a look at it, I’d love to sit down with you to hear your ideas for resolving this. How does that sound?

The two leaders asked for the same information – but how differently they asked, and how different the results are likely to be! John’s response to the catabolic leader would probably be to question what was going on and to worry about his department and the people under him, and to either put off doing the task or do it in perfunctory way. His response to the anabolic leader, on the other hand, would most likely be to jump right into the task, do it well, and generate ideas for improvement.

Anabolic leaders get results! Try sharing instead of giving information, both at work and at home. Those extra few minutes of explanation and getting buy-in can make all the difference.

Catabolic leaders operate in their own little worlds. They do what they do, and they rarely, if ever, stop to think about the consequences of what they are doing (and how they are doing it). If catabolic leaders do assess, they self-assess – that is, they don’t ask for input from people around them, because they fear that in doing so they may appear weak. In addition, catabolic leaders know that they are right, and others are wrong (or incompetent, or lazy) – so why would they ask for others’ feedback?

Anabolic leaders on the other hand, are always working “on themselves.” Not only are they willing to take hard looks at themselves, but they also solicit and consider feedback from others, as they know this information is crucial if they are to continue to grow and develop.

Let’s consider Catabolic Curt and Anabolic Amy, two leaders in the same company. Both manage several team members, and both recently had to deal with customer complaints they’d received. Curt was, well, quite curt as he told his team exactly what to do to correct the problem, and later, when his proposed solution didn’t work, he blamed his team members for not implementing the plan properly.

Amy, not surprisingly, handled the situation differently. She and her team brainstormed a solution to the customer’s complaint, and together decided what course to take. When their chosen plan didn’t work out, instead of blaming her team, Amy sat down with them again to devise another solution. One of the questions she asked her team was how she could have handled the situation better, or supported them more. Amy learned some valuable information from their responses, and modified her behavior accordingly. Not only did Amy demonstrate that she was willing to learn and grow, but she also let her team know that it was safe to honestly give her feedback and trust her.

Anabolic leaders, by soliciting feedback and leaving their egos “at the door,” grow, and by example, allow their colleagues and companies to grow and prosper as well.

The comparison between anabolic and catabolic leaders continues with a look at how each type of leader approaches their everyday circumstances.

Catabolic leaders work in crisis mode. They put out fires, and deal with issues as they arise. This reactivity leads to stress, lack of focus, and a non-productive, frenzied type of atmosphere. They don’t think much about where they’re headed, and even if they do, the “big picture” gets lost in the demands of the moment.

Anabolic leaders, on the other hand, plan ahead. They know exactly what they want to achieve, and have a plan to get there. Not only do they have a plan (and, as discussed in previous months, share it with others, while participating in the team effort themselves), but they hold the others involved in the plan accountable for doing what they said they will do.

Let’s take a closer look at those two components of anabolic leadership – having a plan, and holding the people involved in executing it accountable.

It’s often said that “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” The first step in having a plan is creating the vision of where you want to go. That vision is the ideal – but it’s vitally important to realize that getting from where you are to where you want to go may not be possible overnight – to get there, you need a roadmap, a plan of action.

Once the plan is decided upon, the crucial aspect of accountability comes into play. Accountability involves helping people keep the commitments they make. An anabolic leader creates a system of checking in with the people who are implementing a plan, to make sure that they’re taking action. And, if they are not taking the agreed upon action for some reason, an anabolic leader doesn’t blame, but instead works on helping the person get through whatever blocks that need to be broken through.

The skills of creating attainable action plans and holding people accountable for carrying them out aren’t only useful in a business environment, but in the home as well. Imagine working with your child to create a plan on how to tackle a heavy school workload, and following up to make sure they take the actions they agreed to, in contrast to yelling at them to study the night before final exams.

Learning and practicing these two skills can transform you into the anabolic leader that you would like to be.

Emotions don’t belong in the workplace – or do they? Depends on who you ask! If you ask catabolic leaders, they’re likely to agree. But anabolic leaders have a different point of view – they understand that emotions can’t be left at the office door. Our comparison between anabolic and catabolic leaders continues with an exploration of how aware they are of their own and others’ emotions, how they express their emotions, and how they manage or control them in the work environment.

Awareness, expression, and management of emotion are the three main aspects of emotional intelligence. In the Energy Leadership Development System™, emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to distinguish, understand, and have an awareness of how thoughts and feelings connect with outward displays and behaviors, as well as the ability to manage and express appropriate emotions and help others do the same.

Let’s look at each of the components of EI and see how they are different in catabolic and anabolic leaders.

Awareness
Catabolic – Not only are these leaders unaware of their own emotions, but they are unaware of other people’s emotions as well. They’re also unaware of the effect they have on others.

Anabolic – These leaders are not only aware of their and other’s emotions, but they’re able to step back and recognize that their emotions are not automatic (emotions arise from interpretations). They also look for clues in their emotions, asking questions such as “Why did I have this response, and what can I learn from this?”

Expression
Catabolic – Many catabolic leaders have a limiting belief that expressing emotions should not be done in the workplace. They don’t want people to see their emotions, and don’t want to deal with the emotions of others. When they do express emotions, they often express them inappropriately, for example, by yelling or rolling their eyes.

Anabolic – Anabolic leaders understand that emotions are a part of each of us, and that they can’t be “turned off” at will. They know how to appropriately express their emotions, at the appropriate time. By sharing, acknowledging, and validating, they create an environment in which their co-workers and staff feel valued and understood.

Management
Catabolic – Catabolic leaders can’t manage their own emotions, and therefore, the people around them don’t look to them in times of crisis for guidance and support. They tend to be frustrated, angry, and resentful, and this is apparent to everyone.

Anabolic – Anabolic leaders have the ability to manage their own moods and to help other people shift to more positive moods. They also are able to control their own emotions, even during stressful situations. They respond, instead of react, and their generally calm attitude promotes a positive work environment.

Emotional intelligence is directly related to interpersonal effectiveness. The higher your emotional intelligence, the more effective leader and communicator you will be.

Catabolic leaders use left brain analysis almost exclusively. This type of thinking is linear, and rational. It’s the logical approach, and considers only facts and actual observations. Anabolic leaders use whole brain thinking, which encompasses emotions and intuition, as well as logic. This type of thinking is called holographic thinking, because like multi-dimensional holograms, holographic thinking involves being able to see many perspectives at once.

By using their emotional and intuitive minds in addition to left brain logical analysis, anabolic leaders are able to view a situation as a whole and thus get a complete picture of what is really going on. The ability to see this “meta-view” is key to ensuring the greatest chances for success (in every aspect of life), and especially for making, both on a daily and a long term basis, the very best decisions they can.

So how would this actually play out “in real life”? Say a manager was faced with a decision about whether or not to pull the plug on a project, launched several months before, which was not bringing in the income it was expected to. The catabolic manager would look only at the facts and figures, and, most likely, would decide to discontinue the project because the money wasn’t coming in. Anabolic managers would take much more into account in making a decision. Not only would money and logistics be examined, but also, they would look at their intuitive response (what flashes of insight they had) and also, consider their emotional response, and others’ emotional responses as well. The conclusion they come to might be the same – to pull the plug, or, based on a hunch or an emotion or both, they might decide to keep the project going.

The key is, using a holographic approach, anabolic leaders address opportunities—and challenges—from many perspectives at once.

To practice thinking holographically, consider your potential action in light of what makes sense, what your emotional response to it is, and what your intuitive senses tell you. This may not be natural at first, but eventually, it will become second nature and increase your effectiveness immensely.

A company once sent two shoe salespeople to an area in Africa where they had never sold any shoes. One was of their senior, most experienced salesmen, Tom, and they expected big things of him.

The other was an optimistic rookie named Cynthia. She didn’t have much experience, but she had a lot of enthusiasm. They figured she might be able to sell a few pair of shoes.

Shortly after their arrival in Africa, Tom, the experienced salesperson wrote the home office saying, “You might as well bring me back. Nobody here wears shoes.”

The rookie, Cynthia, wired the home office an urgent message: “Send me all the shoes you’ve got. Nobody here is wearing shoes!”

You may have heard this “joke” before – but it illustrates a key difference between anabolic and catabolic leaders. Two people, faced with the same situation, yet having totally different reactions. What’s the difference between them? In a word, it’s energy – Tom is catabolic and Cynthia is anabolic. Catabolic people see problems and challenges everywhere, and in everything. Anabolic people see opportunity and possibility. Not only do they see opportunity, but they take action to capitalize on it.

Most of the time, people focus on what’s wrong – in their lives, their businesses, the world. They complain, moan, and don’t take a lot of action – and why would they, because they just know that there are more problems and challenges ahead. This is catabolic, destructive energy – and it surrounds us every day.

People with anabolic energy (especially at Level 5 and above) find opportunity in everything. They don’t see the bad and make it a good; they truly only see opportunity in all that happens. They look at a situation and ask “what’s working here?” “What’s right?” “What’s next?” They don’t see problems or challenges, just exciting adventures and chances to make things work better.

So while a catabolic person might get upset and angry if one of his customers took his business to a competitor, an anabolic person would look at that situation as a chance not only to get the customer back, but to also change and improve the circumstances that led to the customer leaving in the first place.

As you go through your day, look at your responses to what’s happening around you. Remember that your perceptions create your energy level, and that creates your reality – the world you know. Most importantly, remember that you can learn to choose your response and begin to shift from catabolic to anabolic energy (if you’re not already there!) Ask those solution-focused questions of “what’s right?” and “what’s next?” After all, it’s your world, and you can create it as you wish.

For more information on bringing the ENERGY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM into your organization please contact;

John Eugene Hill, MBA, PMP, CEO, ELI-MP, ACC
Core Energy Coach for Professional and Business Development
ELI Coaching Services
http://elicoachingservices.com
Eugene@elicoachingservices.com
206-384-2791