What Makes a Good Leader?
Each of us is a leader to those around us, and to ourselves - by choice or by default. What makes a good leader? Are some people "born leaders?"
Yes, in fact everyone is a "Born Leader!" You are a leader by choice or by default. You lead yourself and others, and you set the tone for how you lead - you come to the table with either a Catabolic (negative) leadership style, or a Anabolic (positive) Leadership style, depending on several key factors.
How you lead is also by choice or by default. You get to choose. Do you lead with a positive, creative, energetic leadership (anabolic) style? or a negative, destructive, energetic leadership (catabolic) style? You decide what makes a good leader, and whether or not you are a good leader.
Think about which of these statements describes you as a person - and therefore, a leader.
- I lose
- You win
- I win, you lose
- I win. If you win too, great!
- We both win
- Everyone always wins
- Wining and losing are illusions
Your answers will vary with the situation and your choices, but there is an average way of thinking and feeling - and it can be measured... and changed! 1 and 2 are Catabolic levels of energy and leadership style, and 3, 4, 5. 6, and 7 are anabolic.
You Are a Leader
Do You Lead with Anabolic or Catabolic Energy?
“All thoughts create energy in their own likeness. Catabolic energy injures, and Anabolic energy heals” according to Dr. R.K. Ebert Director of Clinical Neuropophycological Services at Temple University.
What is Catabolic and Anabolic Energy? Dr. Bruce Schneider developed a picture of how energy shapes the way we lead ourselves and others in our life based on terms used by chemists and physicists to describe the process of growth at a cellular level in living things; "catabolic energy" is the destructive, breakdown piece and "anabolic energy" is the building, creating part of the life process.
Catabolic cell activity breaks down. Like baby teeth… the roots on your baby teeth needed to dissolve from the tip up to the crown. So your catabolic cells worked in the tooth to break them down so the baby teeth would fall out when your permanent teeth were ready to come in. It is a destructive force, but does have its uses!
Catabolic levels of energy and leadership result from our negative, destructive thoughts, emotions and actions and a negative leadership energy!
Anabolic energy is the building growing, expanding piece. The anabolic cells work to build up the strong roots of your permanent teeth so they'll be strong.
Anabolic levels of energy and leadership result from the the positive, building thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and a positive leadership style.
Did you know that we can measure that energy. When you are aware of your own levels, you can decide whether or not you want to make a change for a more positive life and work experience. And then you can make that change to a higher level of energy through the Energy Leadership Development System that Dr. Schneider developed. Move from What Makes a Good Leader to Home
