So far, in our exploration of the characteristics of anabolic and catabolic leaders, we’ve determined that anabolic leaders “lead” and “participate,” while catabolic leaders “manage” and “delegate.” This week, let’s look at two other aspects of leadership - how information is passed along to others and how (and if) anabolic and catabolic leaders assess themselves – to further see the difference between the two types of leaders.
Sharing vs. Giving Information
In any 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.
Catabolic leading by “Giving”
“Giving” means to convey, transmit, assign, or allot. When we give to others, we no longer have ownership of what we give. When a catabolic leader gives information to others, they do so without much explanation, and with little buy-in or justification.
Anabolic leading by “Sharing”
“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. An anabolic leader who shares information explains well and gets buy-in, which builds trust, develops rapport, and deepens the connection with the other person.
Sharing vs. Giving in action
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 experiencing. I’d like a rundown of the responsibilities of the people in your department so 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?”
⁕ Which of the leaders above would you react positively to?
Effects on the team
The two leaders asked for the same information – but they asked in completely different ways, and the results are likely to be completely different as well!
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. This would cause him to either put off doing the task or do it superficially. His response to the anabolic leader, on the other hand, would most likely be to jump right into the job, do it well, and generate ideas for improvement.
Self-Assessing vs. Feedback
Now let’s take a look at the characteristics of anabolic and catabolic leaders in regard to how (or if) leaders assess themselves and examine how their actions and attitudes affect their results, as well as impact the people around them.
Self-assessing leaders
Catabolic leaders operate in their own little worlds. They do what they do, and 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. Also, catabolic leaders know that they are right, and others are wrong (or incompetent, or lazy) – so why would they ask for others’ feedback?
Feedback seeking leaders
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.
How it affects the team
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 had 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 by setting the example.
Anabolic leaders get results! This week, try sharing instead of giving information, both at work and home. Those extra few minutes of explanation and getting buy-in can make all the difference. And don’t forget to ask for feedback and listen to clues about which leader those around you perceive you as so you can course-correct if you are leaning towards the catabolic side.
Don’t forget!
This month to help you increase your anabolic leadership skills, I am offering the Energy Leadership Index assessment and debrief for $249 through the end of July! The assessment is designed to give you the tools you need to take your life and leadership skills from “fine” to “fantastic.”
The ELI allows people to literally re-write the rules that they live their lives by. For more information, or to sign up click here: Energy Leadership Information
If you missed part one, click here: Part 1 - Managing vs. Leading
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