In the previous Energy Leadership™ blog post, we began a nine-part exploration of the characteristics of anabolic and catabolic leaders. The first distinction was that catabolic leaders MANAGE while anabolic leaders LEAD.
In this post we explore the second difference: catabolic leaders DELEGATE while anabolic leaders PARTICIPATE.
According to Webster’s dictionary, “delegate” means to entrust to the care or management of another; to transfer; to assign; to commit. In contrast, “participate” means to partake of; to share in; to receive a part of.
Most of us have been taught that as effective leaders we need to delegate to get things done. While that’s true, anabolic leaders take it a step further.
When a catabolic leader delegates a task, the leader becomes completely detached and hands off, in effect, abandoning the task and the team. When an anabolic leader participates in a task, the team members know they are supported and valued while doing the work. Participating isn’t hovering or micromanaging. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the leader needs to do any of the work. It means remaining available and engaged in the team’s successful outcome. It means your team members know you are eager and able to support them in accomplishing their objective.
Imagine the following scenario. A small business owner is expanding from two retail locations to three. The owner of the company assigns tasks to key staff. In Catabolic Company A, the owner gets occasional arm’s length progress reports, but remains out of the picture until the project is complete, at which point the team members are praised or chastised 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 if needed, letting the members know that leader is a full member of the team willing to do whatever’s needed to support the team’s success. The staff members know whether they are on track throughout the stages of the project, because the leader has been checking in with them regularly along the way.
In which company are the workers more likely to be creative, confident and fully engaged in achieving excellence? And which leader is more likely to earn respect, receive loyalty and inspire greatness in others?
Managing from a pedestal is not as effective as leading by example. How can you better demonstrate that you are a fully participating team member, not merely a distant delegator?
To support you in becoming even more constructively engaged with the many teams in your life, sign up below for a 60-minute complimentary coaching session.
Web copy used by permission. No reproduction or retransmission is permitted without expressed written consent of Bruce D Schneider and the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). ©2006-2016 Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
FREE Coaching Opportunity
($250 VALUE)
If someone offered you a precious gift for an hour of your time, would you be interested? That’s what I offer with a Complimentary Coaching Session. A comp session isn’t a brief demo or sample. It’s a full 45-minute coaching session focused on current real life challenges of your choosing plus 15 minutes to discuss your experience and any questions you may have about my approach to coaching.
There is no expectation or pressure to hire me as your ongoing coach. Providing meaningful, substantive comp sessions with no obligation is one of the ways I demonstrate gratitude and give back to the Universe a small portion of the abundance and opportunity it bestows on me daily.
The real value of a comp session? PRICELESS!
Those who have experienced comp sessions will tell you, when you come to your session open to the possibilities for transformation and fully committed to your own growth, big breakthroughs can happen!
What clients say about
the power of coaching with Deborah
“I knew Deborah before she became a Professional Life Coach. I’ve been amazed at how she has changed her life. When I decided it was time to begin making decisions about the next phase of my life, I knew immediately that Deborah was the person I wanted to work with. Her personal and professional experiences help her guide clients through coaching in a way that is individualized and delightfully eye-opening. Her warmth and sensitivity are immediately apparent, even over the phone. With gentle encouragement and permission, she will guide you through an examination of your life, including difficult experiences. She will help you gain insight from your past choices and then explore possibilities for moving forward in less encumbered ways. When you work with Deborah, your life will take on new meaning and your potential will be limitless!” Chris
“The work I did with Deborah continues to change my life. While I have learned many valuable lessons from her, the greatest was the deep insight that is available to me when I listen to and learn from my own inner wisdom. Her intuition, discernment and encouragement have taught me to trust my own intuition—creating new paths and possibilities for my life. One of Deborah’s great gifts is helping others respect and connect with their inner guidance and through that connection, to form a deeper, more meaningful bond with the collective wisdom and energy of all.” Ryan
Click here to sign up for a 60-minute
complimentary coaching session with Deborah.
What readers say about
the impact of Deborah’s book
“With the same energy and determination she applied in the professional world, Deborah has taken her considerable expertise in human potential and has now set her sights on the largest co-op in the world, humanity. ‘Choose Your Energy, Change Your Life!’ tackles what I believe are the most important questions we each must ask: who am I, where did I come from, why am I here, and what’s love got to do with it (cue Tina Turner)? These are not trivial or philosophical questions for the answers change what we do, why we do it, who and what we love. I am grateful for the opportunity to walk with Deborah on this critical journey.” JD Messenger, Award Winning Author of “11 Days in May: The Conversation That Will Change Your Life”
“To me the great thing about Deborah’s book is how ‘accessible’ she makes the ideas. The Oxygen Mask is probably the single best example. As with so many of the ideas in the book, she explains the principle in such a simple way that it’s got universal application to virtually any reader. I can imagine people having multiple moments of ‘Oh….I get it!’ throughout the book. The stories from her own life as well as stories of her clients’ experiences become stories about all of us—stories about which the reader will think, ‘I am living my own version of this.’ Well done—bravo!” Joe Calloway, Author of “Be The Best At What Matters Most”
Choose Your Energy: Change Your Life! 