Creating Virtuous Cycles As A Leader

Yesterday, I wrote about Cycles Within Leadership.

It was an article built around Multiple Conversations I was having, simultaneously, all talking about Cycles Within Leadership.

I broke it down into Two Main Categories:

Vicious Cycles.

Like a Whirlpool, Pulling you into the Abyss.

Virtuous Cycles.

Like a Staircase, Ascending to the Pearly Gates.

In the Article, I discussed multiple Vicious Cycles we are watching play out in Business Today.

I also presented what is going to help us overcome those Cycles.

Well, after writing this, I got many great questions about Virtuous Cycles, so I'm going to dive a bit Deeper over the next few days.

The First Question is about the Tips I have for Creating Virtuous Cycles.

If we Break It Down to its "Simplest" Form, there are Two Tips for Success in Creating Virtuous Cycles.

The First is that you must Identify the Vicious Cycles that already Exist.

Think of it like this...

If you Add 1 and Subtract 1, what do you get?

Nothing.

Many people Struggle to Create Virtuous Cycles, not because they are "Unable", but because they have Too Many Vicious Cycles working "Against" them.

It would be like trying to Add 1 while Subtracting 100.

It's Not as bad as Adding Nothing...

Yet, it Still Is Awful.

So, if you get the Negative Down First, it makes it "Much" easier to Add.

This Tip has a "Secret" Tip within it though.

Usually, Vicious Cycles play out as what I have called "Stress Chains".

In our Lives, there is Often a "Link" between Various Stressors.

One Link is Connected to Another.

Some of these become "Long" Chains.

So Break the Chain.

Where do you Break?

At the Source of the Chain.

If a Chain has 20 Links, but you always focus on the "Final" Link, you'll have a Difficult Time Ending the Cycle.

But if you Focus on the "First" Link?

The Rest Disappears, often with Little to No Effort.

So, instead of dropping that Negative 100 to Negative 99, only for it to become Negative 100 again...

You Break at the "First" Link...

That Negative 100 becomes a Negative 80...

And Stays There.

The More Stress Chains you Break from their Starting Point, the Faster you Disintegrate the Vicious Cycle.

This brings us to the Second Tip.

Focus on Psychophysiology.

There is a Reason my Work with Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Business Owners Rarely Focuses on Skills.

Skills Do Not Matter When Our Psychophysiology is Wrong.

In the past, I have talked about this as our Vitality Quotient or VQ.

When VQ is High, Life is Easier.

You are Better Able to Learn New Skills.

Emotional Intelligence comes More Naturally.

Being Able to Think Creatively and Solve Problems is Simple.

But when VQ is Low?

We Fail to Function Well as Humans.

Less So as Leaders.

Quite Literally, our Bodies are Working "Against" our Goals as both Leaders and Humans.

The Eventual "Worst" Point of Low VQ is Burnout...

Well, "Technically" it is Death Caused by Burnout, but when you're Dead, there isn't much work we can do to "Improve" the situation.

So, if you want to Enact Virtuous Cycles, start where You will have the Greatest Impact.

Start With Your Psychophysiology.

This Tip also has a "Secret" Tip hidden within it.

Not All "Chains" have to be "Stress Chains".

There are Two Other Types of Chains.

Growth Chains.

Success Chains.

All Chains work the Same.

There is a Starting Link, the "Bedrock" you could say.

The Entire Chain Depends on that Bedrock to Remain Stable.

In our example here, that is our VQ.

Then, you begin to Chain Areas you want to Improve with Areas you "Already" have Growth With.

This begins a New Virtuous Cycle around Your Growth.

So, for Me, I Focus on Improving what I call the Four Brain Systems.

This Improves VQ.

As VQ Improves, Flow States are Easier to Obtain.

Flow States Make Habits Easier to Establish.

Habits Improve Energy (Mg-ATP) Use.

More Energy (Mg-ATP) Allows for New Habits.

Now you have a Virtuous Cycle.

But it goes further with Success Chains.

Here we link the End Results of Different Practices, to Multiple Types of Success.

So, let's say that I Train to Improve my VQ... maybe to Participate in a 50k Spartan Race.

This gives me Ideas for Articles, Demonstrates I'm an Exemplar of My Work, Improves my VQ, and also allows me to Wear and Speak about another Business Venture, Change The World Fitness.

One Action.

Multiple Success Outcomes.

Growing Virtuous Cycle.

These Two Tips are the Primary Areas to Focus on when Creating Virtuous Cycles.

What is great about this is that it is Not "Theoretical".

It Works in Reality.

I know.

I've done it in My Own Life.

I've done it with Clients.

I've even done it with Organizations that have been Stuck in Vicious Cycles.

When you Create Virtuous Cycles, it can completely Change The World around You.

This is what becoming a Legendary Leader is all about.

If you enjoyed today's article, be sure to "Follow" because Tomorrow I'll go into another question I've received about Virtuous Cycles!