Welcome back to our series comparing anabolic and catabolic leaders. In this article, we continue with a glimpse into how each type of leader approaches a challenge – is it a big problem, or a huge opportunity? Let’s find out...
Here, you will learn more about:
A key difference between anabolic & catabolic leaders
Energy and how it influences everything
Catabolic Thinking Vs. Anabolic Thinking
The benefits of whole-brain thinking
A real-life leadership scenario
How to practice thinking holographically
If you missed out on the first three articles in the series, read them here:
A Key Difference Between Anabolic & Catabolic Leaders
Maybe you’ve heard the following fable before. Whether or not you have, it’s worth mentioning because it illustrates a crucial difference between anabolic and catabolic leaders:
A company once sent two shoe salespeople to an area in Africa where they had never sold any shoes. Tom was their senior, most experienced salesmen. Big things were expected of him.
In contrast, Cynthia was a very optimistic rookie. What she lacked in experience, she had gained in enthusiasm. She might be able to sell a few pairs of shoes, the company figured.
Not long after they arrived in Africa, Tom, the experienced salesperson, wrote the home office saying, “You might as well bring me back. Nobody here wears shoes.”
Cynthia the rookie saw things quite differently. “Send me all the shoes you’ve got. Nobody here is wearing shoes!” she wired the home office.
Here we see two people, faced with the very same situation, yet having totally different reactions.
Energy is the key difference between these leaders
It’s the energy. Tom is catabolic; Cynthia is anabolic. The differences are clear:
Catabolic people see problems and challenges everywhere and in everything.
Anabolic people see opportunity and possibility. And not only do they see an opportunity, they take action to capitalize on it.
Too often, people tend to focus on what’s wrong – in their lives, their businesses, the world. They may complain about it; what they don’t do is take any action. Action doesn’t make sense to them because then there would simply be more problems and challenges lurking ahead. This is catabolic, destructive energy – and it surrounds us every day.
Keep reading as we explore a fascinating distinction between anabolic and catabolic leaders –the way that each type of leader thinks. This is perhaps one of the most complicated, yet essential, aspects of understanding the difference between the two types of leaders.
Catabolic Thinking Vs. Anabolic Thinking
Part of the reason that catabolic people see problems and challenges everywhere is that they use left-brain analysis almost exclusively.
Catabolic thinking is:
linear and “rational”
the logical approach, considering only facts and actual observations
This doesn’t mean that their emotions aren’t influencing their behavior; it means that they don’t acknowledge the feelings and use them to look at the whole picture.
People with anabolic energy (especially at Level 5 and above) find opportunities in everything. They:
Don’t see the bad and make it “good”; they truly only see opportunity in all that happens.
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. Which leader would you rather be around?
The Benefits of Whole-Brain Thinking
Anabolic leaders use whole-brain thinking. It encompasses emotions and intuition, as well as logic.
This gives them 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), especially for making the very best decisions they can, both on a daily and a long-term basis.
Say a customer decides to take his business to a competitor. A catabolic leader will probably get upset and angry, casting blame.
An anabolic leader would view the situation as an opportunity to win the customer back. Moreover, they would recognize the opportunity to change and improve the circumstances that lead to the customer leaving in the first place.
A Real-Life Leadership Scenario Unfolds…
Here’s how this might play out in real life:
A manager is faced with a decision about whether or not to pull the plug on a project that wasn’t bringing in the income that had been expected, even though it launched several months before.
The catabolic manager would look only at the hard facts and figures. Most likely, he would decide to discontinue the project because the money wasn't coming in.
Anabolic managers would take much more into account in making the decision. Not only would money and logistics be examined, they would also look at their intuitive response (what flashes of insight they experienced).
They would also consider their emotional response, and that of others' as well. Yes, the conclusion each reaches 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.
Practice thinking holographically
The secret is to use a holographic approach to 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; eventually, it will become second nature and increase your effectiveness immensely.)
Why not give it a try? 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!
Looking for a great way to jumpstart your anabolic leadership skills? Consider my Energy Leadership Index assessment and debrief, designed to give you the tools you need to elevate your life and leadership skills in ways you never thought possible.
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