I have been hearing many people talking about the Importance of "Discipline" recently.
It is a common piece of advice that you'll come across frequently.
However, I have found when it comes to Leadership, having Discipline as a Strategy Unquestionably Fails.
I know you may be Wondering "Why" that is, especially when you See it "So" Frequently as "Needed" for Success.
Many would say that I have "Discipline", having written Daily Articles over 600 Days in a Row, and Ran at Least 1 Mile Daily for over 100 Days in a Row.
But in Reality, I Do Not have Strong Discipline.
The Truth is that there is a Deep Misunderstanding about what Discipline is, and that is Why it Fails Leaders Consistently.
So, what "Is" Discipline?
According to Merriam-Webster, these are the first 4 definitions:
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Control gained by enforcing obedience or order
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Orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior
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Self-control
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Punishment
You'll Notice some words that are Important to Latch Onto for our Understanding.
Control.
Orderly.
Enforcing.
Prescribed Conduct.
What do all of these have in Common?
They are All "Forced".
When you approach Our Behavior as Humans from an Energy (Mg-ATP) Perspective, you'll begin there is a Problem with Forced Behavior.
Forced Behavior "Always" Requires a LOT of Energy (Mg-ATP) to Accomplish.
Why is this Problematic?
There are a few reasons actually.
The first has to do with Homeostasis.
Our bodies have the Desire to Maintain an "Energy Balance".
Whenever anything Requires "High" Energy, our Bodies will Naturally attempt to Avoid It.
The Reason?
Participating in Too Many High Energy Activities will Drain our Energy (Mg-ATP) Reserves, which in turn becomes a Threat to our Survival (At least from an Energy Perspective).
So, each time you use "Discipline", you are Forcing your Body to Tap Into those Energy (Mg-ATP) Reserves.
This Registers the Activity as a "Threat" to Survival, which then our Bodies will Subconsciously Avoid in the Future.
This is also Why most people find that Disciplined Action tends to become Extremely Inconsistent and Difficult to Maintain.
Subconsciously, our Bodies are Working "Against" Us.
The Most Difficult aspect here is that when We Do Not Understand our Subconscious, it is "Very" Good at remaining Unseen.
Even when you "Do" Understand this, the Subconscious is Tough to See.
The Subconscious will "Convince" us, often in Extremely Logical Ways, that we Should "Not" Engage in the High Energy Activity.
Over time, the Subconscious generally Wins.
There is Another Problem with Discipline requiring High Energy (Mg-ATP) to Accomplish.
Burnout.
Currently, 80% of People are "In" Burnout.
What this means is that they are "Using" More Energy (Mg-ATP) than they can Produce, which means their Bodies are "Literally" Tearing themselves apart to Maintain Survival.
When You "Already" Do Not have "Enough" Energy, You Can't "Force" Yourself to Magically Come Up with More.
So, when we are in Low Energy (Mg-ATP) States, Discipline Never Wins.
This is "Also" Why so many people Struggle to use Discipline when they are Anxious, Depressed, and the like.
These are all "Fast Energy Burning" States, where Energy tends to be Low, and the Body will Naturally Seek Immediate Solutions to those States.
Since most things that Require "Discipline" are not Immediate Solutions, the Subconscious takes Over, does what you would "Generally" want to Avoid, and Refuses to let you use Discipline.
The Truth is that, in the Long Term, Discipline can "Not" overcome Low Energy (Mg-ATP) and Survival Instincts.
Now, at this level, we have only spoken about Discipline when it comes to Individuals.
When you attempt to, as a Leader, spread "Discipline" to a Team Level, you are going to face these Problems at an Exponential Rate.
If you are "Lucky" you can get Discipline to work for an Individual.
Getting Discipline to work for a Group becomes Impossible.
When there are so Many Stressors that Impact our Energy (Mg-ATP), as well as so Many Subconscious factors at play, mixed with how certain Natural Functions (ie Neurocardiology) will "Spread" Stressors...
It explains Why Leaders Fail to have Success when Relying on Discipline.
But it becomes More Difficult because of the Inconsistency of Discipline.
You are Not able to Effectively "Track" Discipline as a Leader.
So, Relying on Discipline means you're looking for Results based on something you Will Not be able to Track Efficiently.
This is a Major Factor of Why so many Leaders Fail to "Know" Why they are Having Problems in their Organizations.
They Believe "Discipline" will get Results, but it Both Does Not Get Results and Does Not allow the Leader to Gain Insights on What Needs to be Improved.
All while "Further" Making Burnout Worse.
So, if Discipline is Not the Solution, then What Is?
If I Do Not Use Discipline, How do I Write so many Articles, and get myself to Run so Frequently?
How do Organizations like the Military get Recruits to Follow Orders to the Highest of Levels if it is Not based on Discipline?
The Key is in Understanding Energy (Mg-ATP).
If you want to do Something "Consistently", It Requires the Action to Become "Low Energy".
When your Body has to decide between a "High Energy" Solution and a "Low Energy" Solution, it will Subconsciously Push for the Low Energy Solution "Every" Time.
How do you make an Activity Low Energy?
You have to Turn that Activity into a Habit.
Habits are something that we Consistently Do, but the Difference between Discipline and Habits is that Habits are "Intentionally" Developed to Use Less Energy.
As the Habit becomes Cemented, it Requires Less and Less Energy to Maintain.
When our Bodies seek a Solution, they Subconsciously push for the Low Energy Habit.
To Establish a Habit, you must choose an Action, that "Starts" at a Low Energy Cost (to Bypass the Subconscious and Survival Instincts), and Once Established can be Increased.
Now, what makes this Powerful as a Leader is that "Action" is something you can Track Easily.
Whether it is your "Own" Action, or Anyone Else's, you can "See" When an Action is Working as a Habit or When it might Need to be Reduced or Changed.
As the Action is Recorded, Successfully, Over Time, you can Adjust it as a Leader toward Goals.
When People have Habits Established, they become the "Go-To" Solution as they require Less Energy (Mg-ATP).
Discipline becomes Unnecessary when our Instinct is to go with a Successfully Established Habit.
You are Happier as a Leader, your Team is Happier as well, and Everyone Wins.
Discipline is Not the Answer to Your Woes.
Establishing Beneficial Habits is What is Needed for Success.