Saturday, December 1, 2012

Leadership Style


How do you interact with others? 
What is your leadership style? 
How does that affect the team around you?

I try my my hardest to interact with people in the following process.
1) very surface generic conversations, establish introductions, let yourself be know.
2) then interact in a slightly personal way (discuss something other than work)
3) interact collaboratively to accomplish a goal.

These three steps allow me to get to know the personal with which I'm interacting at a comfortable and not obtrusive pace and then can their trust as we collaborate.  I find that step is often skipped by those that think that we are all just machines that can interact the same way and get work done.  Everyone is a bit different and it's important to understand those difference and adjust accordingly.

My closest Myers-Briggs personality type is ENFP.  This indicates that I am someone who senses the hidden potential in people. I enjoy starting discussion or activities that challenge and stimulate others into having new insights about themselves, which they can then take and apply to their own personal growth. I am enthusiastic about new projects or causes that offer the potential for a beneficial impact on people, especially when it involves breaking new ground.  I find this to be fairly accurate.  I do enjoy trying to change the status quo by introducing new ways to think about things.

I tend to lead slightly aggressively   And I tend to get more aggressive as I get older.  This may be due to my increasing confidence in myself and my industry.  There isn't necessarily anything wrong with an aggressive leadership style, however, I have noticed it can be off-putting at times and I have to make sure I've stuck to my three process steps of interacting before I become too aggressive.


1 comment:

  1. It is perceptive of you to be aware that you are getting more aggressive in your leadership style as you get older, which as you say can be off-putting at times. Knowing this, you can adjust how you interact with people... making sure you take the time to get to know them and let them get to know you first.

    Not everyone has the ability to sense the hidden potential in people... or the desire to do so. People with your skill set and personality are valuable on any team.

    ReplyDelete