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What Could Possibly Make an Introverted Relater a Great Leader?

October 28, 2013 By

As much as a Relater Personality is the complete opposite of a Commander Personality (the quintessential “leader” that is on the shelf at type-casting), Relaters can be Great Leaders. What are the skill sets and characteristics that the Relater brings to the leadership table that make this personality an ideal fit in some circumstances?

  • Team and Consensus Builder – I recently read an article that was premised on the idea of being the new manager/leader who has to follow in the footsteps of a really BAD leader; one who used and abused his team. My first thought was that the ideal candidate for this position could well be a Relater. Relaters are all about creating and maintaining harmony. They take the time to build a team. They value everyone’s input and strive to build a consensus that all team members can support. How do they do this? They begin by being a …
  • Good Listener – In the article referenced above, it was understood that all members of the existing “team” KNEW that they were dysfunctional and they all had ideas about how they had become that way and what was needed to remedy the problem. The ideal candidate to turn this dysfunctional team into a smoothly operating production machine is someone who will take the time to listen to what the team members feel is needed; and, who will implement the best ideas, giving credit to those who contribute to the turn around. These are behaviors that Relaters excel at. They are …
  • Patient and Supportive – Change seldom happens “overnight”. Change, especially radical change, takes time and require encouragement. Again, Relaters understand this and will give the team time to adopt new systems and new thought processes, encouraging and supporting the people who make it happen.
  • Thoughtful – Once again, we need to recognize that Relaters, as introverted personality types, need to have their alone time to recharge their batteries; to re-energize themselves. Great Leaders who are Relaters and who use their alone time to consider their team and the situation in which it finds itself can find the opportunities that are available to the team and can develop strategies for turning dreams into realities.
  • Empathy – Relaters have tremendous empathy for others and can relate to the needs of other people. They are able to see themselves in another person’s shoes. A former neighbor, a Relater personality, worked in the construction industry. A job that he was supervising was slightly behind schedule and the client needed to obtain the certificate of occupancy (C.O.) on the coming Monday morning. There were no extensions to be had. Recognizing that his crew had been working hard and would not be excited at the prospect of working on Saturday to finish the job on time, this man did not begin by telling the crew that they would have to work on Saturday. Instead, he began by telling everyone how much he appreciated all that they had done to get the job this far; and, how proud he was of the quality of their work. He then made the statement that the final inspection for the C.O. was scheduled for Monday and that he planned to be on site at 7:30 on Saturday morning to make sure everything was done.  He then asked who would join him at 8:00 … that he’d provide the coffee and donuts. Needless to say, he had a full crew with him on Saturday, the job was finished on time, and the inspection was completed without a hitch.

Relaters have a real knack for building teams that work together … a skill that every Great Leader would love to have. Do you have an example of how a leader that you know has exercised Relater skills to build a great team. Click the COMMENT button and share it here.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is the Number of People You Lead Important?

October 20, 2013 By

I recently had the privilege of presenting an all day workshop on leadership and the art of converting people who are considered hard to work with into allies. In the course of the day, one of the participants asked the question, “Is the number of people that you lead important?” As we discussed this question, it became evident that the thought behind the question involved this participant comparing himself to world leaders and wondering how he could have the same impact on the world as someone who leads millions of individuals.

On the surface, it would appear that someone leading millions would clearly have a greater impact on the world than an individual leading one person or a dozen people; on the surface. But let’s dig a little deeper.

Great Leaders recognize that leading, in and of itself, influences those who follow. Whether it’s a single follower or a million followers, the potential is there to change the world.

Consider a small pebble dropped into a pond. It generates ripples that expand out into the pond and continue on to the shoreline where they meet the resistance of land and rebound back toward the center of the pond. In and of itself, this sounds like it is no big deal that has little, if any, impact on the world around it. But, if that small ripple dislodges a small rock and weakens an earthen work dam which ultimately collapses sending a torrential flood downriver, how insignificant was that pebble that fell into the pond?

Regardless if they lead one or millions, Great Leaders give their very best and lead their followers toward the best knowing that the lessons that they teach, the examples that they provide, today will impact generations to come by of the changes that they make in the lives of their followers today. Has a Great Leader changed your life; or, have you, by your leadership, changed the life of another? Comment here to share your story.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, Lead from strength, Leadership, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , ,

DO GREAT LEADERS PAINT THEMSELVES INTO INESCAPABLE CORNERS?

October 13, 2013 By

This is an open letter to those who would call themselves “leaders”.

It’s time to look at how current leadership strategies are working. All too often, we hear those who would call themselves “leaders” stating that they will not negotiate; that proposals from those who hold different views are “dead on arrival”; that differences must be resolved “my way or the highway”. In the vernacular of personality assessments, these behaviors are examples of negative personality styles wherein …

  • the Negative Commander declares that “it’s my way or the highway” and that the only acceptable behavior is conformity with exactly what he/she declares;
  • the Negative Organizer seeks refuge in the unbending adherence to perfect detail; the perfect dotting of the i’s and the perfectly balanced crossing of the t’s;
  • the Negative Relater stops seeking consensus so that “we can all get along” and takes on a martyr mentality that we are not worthy of solutions;
  • the Negative Entertainer ceases caring about making life good for everyone around him/her and begins believing that he/she must be the focal point of everyone’s attention and adoration.

These negative leadership styles are not working!  It’s time to try something else. To provide a historical example of finding workable solutions that benefit everyone …

In 1787, the Founding Fathers found themselves at a crossroads while writing the Constitution. The question centered on the nature of the legislative branch of the government.

Large states favored proportional representation wherein each state would have representation based on population; i.e., one representative for each xx number of people. This was a key component of what was referred to as the “Virginia Plan” and would give large, more populous states, more representatives than would be given to small states. Small, less populated, states feared that this form of legislature would make their opinions and wishes irrelevant; that the large states could overwhelm their smaller representation and do only what was in the interests of the large states.

Conversely, small states endorsed a legislature that would provide each state with the same number of representatives so that each state would carry the same weight in any vote; essentially, one state, one vote. This was a key component of the “New Jersey Plan” that would have kept the Articles of Confederation in place.

After a period of extended debate, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth … both representatives from Connecticut … offered a compromise solution. Combining both proposals, their compromise created a bicameral legislative branch; a Congress with two houses. One chamber, the House of Representatives would have a membership based on population; the Virginia Plan’s one representative for each xx number of people. The second chamber, the Senate, would give equal representation to each state; the New Jersey Plan’s “one state, one vote”. In proposing this compromise solution, these men demonstrated true leadership … they actively sought and found a solution that was in the best interest of the country and that the majority of the representatives could support.

Great Leaders not only talk the talk of wanting to do what is best for the nation, they work together to find solutions that accomplish the goal of doing what is right and what is best for the country. Great Leaders recognize that when they find themselves in a hole, it’s best to stop digging deeper and start digging out of the hole; to find common ground that can lead to solutions based on a consensus of what is best for the majority. Great Leaders understand that, in the immortal words of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, “The needs of the many (the nation) outweigh the needs of the few.”

As stated above, negative leadership styles are not working!  It’s time to try something else. It’s time to seek out and find compromises that, while not giving everyone everything that they want, offer solutions that most can accept as being in the best interests of the nation. Set aside the negative leadership behaviors. It’s time to become true leaders; Great Leaders, who act in the best interests of those that they have been given the privilege of leading.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Building a Legacy, Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

What Could Possibly Make an Introverted Organizer a Great Leader?

October 6, 2013 By

Organizers can be Great Leaders. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at a few of the characteristics and skills that the Organizer brings to the leadership table.

  • Analytical – Organizers who use their “alone time” to examine situations often see opportunities where others see only problems, obstacles, limitations, and dead ends. Given sufficient examination, these impediments can be turned into motivations and opportunities. The analytical Organizer finds the opportunity to do what “they” say can’t be done.
  • Detail Oriented – There is an old saying that “the devil is in the details” and here is where the Organizer shines. While the Commander does not want to be bothered with the details, preferring the “big picture”; and, while the Entertainer may not always recognize that there ARE details (as an Entertainer myself, I feel I can safely make this observation), the Organizer identifies the key elements that must be included if a project is to succeed and then makes sure that someone is responsible for ensuring that they are attended to.
  • Focused – While Organizers are extraordinarily attentive to details, they still are able to “keep their eyes on the prize”. They make sure that the details are attended to because they see how those details contribute to the ultimate success of the team and the project.
  • Consistent and Fair – Teams seem to function best when all members know what is expected of them and what each member will be contributing. Organizers, being detail oriented and having systems and processes in place to ensure that those details are attended to, tend to make certain that the processes and procedures ensure that things are done the same way each time and that the standards are consistently applied. Ultimately, fairness means that the same standards are applied, consistently, to every member of the team.
  • Perseverance – The value and importance of some projects is always readily apparent to others. When a Great Leader knows that he or she has a good idea, perseverance is a key component required for the ultimate adoption of that idea. While others may give the idea a passing glance, the Organizer sees the value and persists in presenting that value to the audience and will not give up.

Organizer personalities can be Great Leaders … they bring vital traits and skills to the leadership table. If you think about the truly great leaders you have known and admired, there is probably at least one Organizer on your list. Click the “Comment” button and share your story about that Organizer Leader here.

Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com

Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Personal Coaching, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , ,