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Do Great Leaders Rely on Facts or Trust Their Intuition?

March 15, 2015 By

Last week, we looked at the decision making process of the Organizer personality who is a sensing, logical, thinker who relies on facts, figures, data … things that can be seen, touched, felt, and studied when making decisions. This week, we will contrast this with the decision making process of a Commander personality.

COREMAP(tm) teaches us that the Commander personality is an intuitive, thinking, logical, decision maker who is quite comfortable relying on his/her “gut feelings” when making decisions. In fact, even when presented with facts, figures, and demographics in support of a specific course of action, the Commander personality will often counter with the statement that, “while the facts and figures may say that we should do A, my gut tells me that we should do B. I’m going with my gut on this”. To the Organizer personality, this tendency to rely on intuition and “gut feelings” is uncomfortable and feels irrational.

However, this willingness to trust “gut feelings” empowers the Commander personality to be decisive and provides both the confidence and the willingness to take the lead and accept the responsibilities of leadership in order to ensure that the desired outcome is reached. Their decisiveness and confidence will frequently command the respect of others; but, it can also intimidate the less confident and the more introverted personalities.

Great Leaders who have a dominant Commander personality are quick thinking and level headed in times of stress and emergencies. Great Leaders also recognize that they cannot do everything themselves and are good delegators who find the right person for the job and inspire that person to greatness. Great Leaders are highly motivated to see those that they lead succeed in their own right. They are always willing to listen to the ideas of others and implement those ideas when they provide a better way to reach a goal; and, they give full credit to the one who provided the suggestion. At the same time, they have the self-confidence to reject those ideas that are contrary to their own ideas of what is right and what is wrong, what will work and what will not.

Have you had the privilege of working with a Commander personality and witnessing his/her decision making process? Click “Comment” and share your experiences.

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, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

GREAT LEADERS WELCOME 2015 WITH GOALS SET!

January 4, 2015 By

The great motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said that, “A goal properly set is halfway reached”. As we welcome the new year, Great Leaders will ask themselves these questions …

  • Are the goals I’ve set clear in my mind? Great Leaders recognize that, first, they must have a clear vision of the future that they want to create. This cannot be a collection of vague ideas. The Great Leader must have the clarity of thought to know precisely what they desire the future to look like.
  • Am I communicating my vision clearly and with specificity? Great Leaders understand that, having been given the privilege of leading a team, they now have the responsibility to deliver specific goals and objectives. They cannot allow team members to wander aimlessly in the wilderness of generalities that is populated with only the current industry buzzwords. The Great Leader must communicate their vision with clarity and in sufficient detail that team members can see themselves turning that vision into a reality. In essence, they empower the team members to feel the warmth of the goal attainment sun on their faces long before they complete the journey … they can smell the sweet smell of success that beckons them onward.
  • Do I have a road map in my mind that tells me what steps must be taken in order to traverse the path between vision and reality? If the Great Leader is to guide the team, he or she must know how to get from Point A (the vision) to Point B (making that vision a reality). Like the captain of a sailing vessel, the Great Leader must be able to identify the correct route and ensure that it is taken. There must be a specific course set and adhered to; no orders to the helmsman to set a course “thataway”.
  • Have I delegated tasks to the people most qualified to perform them? COREMAP shows us that each personality type has strengths and weaknesses that can significantly impact job performance. For example, if the job requires close attention to detail, it is probably best to assign that responsibility to an individual who has an Organizer personality (lives for policies and procedures that make certain that the job is done right) rather than to the person with a Commander personality (sees the “big picture” and prefers not to deal with details) or the person who has an Entertainer personality (may or may not know where to find the details). If the team has a number of clashing personalities, the Great Leader knows the importance of including a person who has a Relater personality, someone who is skilled at helping team members find common ground and building consensus.

Great Leaders will ask and answer these questions; make adjustments as needed, and then, monitor progress toward the goal. With these questions answered, the Great Leader has taken the all-important first steps toward reaching the goals and turning the vision into reality. Make 2015 your best year ever!

Have you set your goals? Care to share? Click “comment” to share your goals for 2015 and how you will turn those goals into reality.

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, Goal Setting, Great Leaders, How personality type impacts leadership, Integrity, Lead by Example, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Personality Assessment, Personality types 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: , , , , , ,

What Do You Mean, Introverts Can Be Leaders?

September 30, 2013 By

Hello, type casting? I’d like to order a leader … you know, someone who is outgoing, a back-slapper, a hail good fellow well met type of person; a “take charge” guy or gal. That’s what leaders look like, isn’t it? Or is it?

COREMAP tells us that there are four personality types; Commanders, Organizers, Relaters, and Entertainers. Commanders and Entertainers are extroverts … outgoing; never saw a stranger, only a friend as yet unmet. Organizers and Relaters tend to be introverts who value their “alone” time; who are happy to be in the back of the room observing rather than at the front of the crowd drawing attention to themselves.

Call type casting for a leader and the odds are that they will send over a Commander or an Entertainer; usually the former. But, Organizers and Relaters can be Great Leaders because of the talents and skills that they bring to the table. Consider …

  • Organizers and Relaters use their alone time to re-energize themselves; and, this often includes taking time to bring clarity to their motives and values. By using their alone time to determine what truly motivates and excites them; what actions they will take in the pursuit of their goals (as well as what actions they will NOT take because those actions would violate their own personal code of ethical conduct), these introverted personalities are able to clearly set a course that they can explain to their followers and the vision that they have for the future … a vision that their team members can see and choose to be a part of.
  • While Organizers and Relaters may shun the limelight, they are often at their very best in one-on-one conversations. They use these personal conversations to convey their core message; their core values; their vision as they personalize the conversation to the individual needs of their listeners.
  • As people who choose to avoid the spotlight, introverts can be more observant of the actions of others. Organizers and Relaters watch what others say and do. They are able to see and hear those who quietly have an impact on the thoughts and actions of others. They are adept at drawing those quiet leaders into the conversation; and, they allow those people to guide the thoughts and actions of others. Equally important, they are able to identify those things that they want to change and improve … both in their environment and in themselves.

Hello, type-casting? I need a leader. Let’s not limit ourselves to the usual suspects. Great Leaders come in from all personality types and each personality type brings very specific and valuable skills to the leadership table. Let’s find the candidate who brings the needed skills to the role.

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, Integrity, Lead from strength, Lead with Integrity, Leadership, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How Can a Relater Personality Be a Great Leader?

May 6, 2013 By

When people think of leaders, they tend to think of the person who takes command; who gives orders; who talks loudly; who moves through the crowd shaking hands with everyone and talking to everyone who will listen … and frequently to those who would rather not listen.

A Relater Personality (see Personality Types and Leadership – Part 3 published here on April 11, 2012) hardly fits the description above. Relaters tend to be introverted personalities; again, not what you expect from someone who aspires to a position of leadership. But, I believe that Relaters can be GREAT Leaders because they have some skills that are desperately needed.

They Listen: I once heard the great Cavett Robert say, “God gave you two ears and one mouth. It was a hint.” What did he mean by this? Great Leaders recognize that they do not know it all. Great Leaders listen twice as much as they talk; and, at this, Relaters excel. Relater Personalities listen to others, especially where there are differing opinions and points of view so that they can determine where common ground exists.

They Build Consensus: Once the Relater Leader knows where the common ground is, they are in a much better position to broker compromises in which all parties believe that they have gotten what they need. They rally people to the positions that all support and keep everyone focused on what they have in common; the positions that they all support. Rather than having team members see other members with differing points of view as opponents to be defeated, Relater Leaders help the team arrive at positions that the majority can support. Even those who don’t completely agree with the position feel valued in that they had an opportunity to present their opinions and ideas and that they were heard.

They Foster a Spirit of Teamwork: My former neighbor, Bobby, is a Relater Leader. Working in the construction industry, Bobby was a job-site supervisor and had a reputation for getting more quality work from his crews than any other supervisor in the company. Got a tough job with a hard completion deadline? This was the man you wanted on the job! I asked him how he did it and his answer was quite simple. He stated that his crews did not work for him … they work with him. If he needed the crew to work on Saturday in order to be ready for an inspection on Monday, he did not tell the workers that they had to work on Saturday. He told them that, in order to have the job done by Monday morning, some work needed to be done on Saturday. He told them that he’d be on the job-site at 7:00 a.m. with coffee and donuts; then, he asked who would be there at 8:00 a.m. to help him get the job done. He never lacked help; and, they usually showed up well before 8:00 and found him hard at work. His crew knew that they were a team; that they would succeed or fail as a team; and, that the leader of the team would work as hard, or harder, than he asked of them.

Can a Relater Personality by a Great Leader?  Comment here and tell us what you think?

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: , , , , ,

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY 2013?

January 11, 2013 By

It’s hard to believe, but not only is 2013 already here, nearly two full weeks are already gone!  Do you have goals for the new year; a plan for reaching those goals?  If you haven’t already done so, now would be a good time to …

•    Write down your goals – Write down what the goal is, what it looks like, how it will feel to achieve it.  Be specific.  The more specific the goal, the easier it will be to see where you stand as you work toward it and know when you’ve reached it.

•    Tell others what your goals are – This is not about “bragging rights”.  Rather, it is about accountability.  In the Speakers’ Academy, we have accountability partners; someone who will help us hold ourselves accountable for working toward and ultimately attaining the goals that we have set for ourselves.  Your accountability partner can be a single individual or a group of people who support you and want to see you succeed; your personal “board of directors”.

•    Believe that you can reach your goals – You’ve got to believe in yourself and in your ability to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself.  The great W. Clement Stone wrote that, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”.  When you believe in yourself, really believe, your brain has the capacity to focus like a laser on the goal and the actions that must be taken to reach it.  Without belief, there can be no focus.

•   Make the goals measurable – Earlier, I said “be specific”.  Specificity makes it easy to measure your progress.  A vague goal such as “I’m going to make more sales this year” has no real power, no real motivation, and no clearly defined actions that must be taken.  A specific goal, “I’m going to increase sales by 10%” leads to specific action steps such as, “To increase sales by 10%, I must make three additional sales presentations every week, which means I must add ten additional qualified prospects to my sales pipeline every week.” With these specific action steps, you can measure your progress every day.

•    Challenge yourself – While it may feel good to reach the same easy goal every year, it’s not possible to grow by pursuing this strategy.  A wise man once told me that “when you’re green, you grow … when you’re ripe, you rot”.  Goals that do not challenge us do not empower us to grow.  Many performance reviews are based on a three step model … Base Acceptable Minimum Performance (BAM), Desired Goal, and Stretch Goal.  BAM may allow you  to keep your job (for now), but it probably puts you #1 on the list of people to cut if the company decides it needs to reduce personnel.  Dare to dream … dream big … it’s impossible to soar with the eagles if you’re not willing to reach for the stars.  Make your goals big enough to inspire you to strive for greatness; to motivate you to “go the extra mile”.

•    Set a deadline for reaching each of your goals – my first agency manager constantly reminded the new and veteran agents in the office that “goals are simply dreams with deadlines”.  Without a “due date”, goals are little more than dreams that are seldom achieved.  When you commit to reaching the goal by a specific date, you have committed yourself to doing what is needed to reach the goal by that date.

Now is the time to map out the goals, the destinations, that you want to reach in 2013.  The goals you set and the actions that you take to reach them will determine how you see this year when you look back at it from some future date.  The future is in your hands.  Make it a great one!

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Personal Coaching Tagged With: ,

COULD DAILY REVIEWS BE YOUR SECRET WEAPON TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS?

August 5, 2012 By

I met with “Susan” this week and asked if we could review the record she was keeping of what she spent her money on; her expense log.  She pulled a notebook out of her purse with some apprehension and quietly told me that it was “pretty embarrassing.”

Susan went on to tell me that she had been afraid to keep this record; that she feared it would make her look like a bad person because of what it revealed about her decision making.

She continued, “This morning, I reviewed my notes and they confirmed my worst fears.  I made a lot of really bad decisions.”

This is a very common reaction when people first begin keeping records of their spending and taking responsibility for how they manage their money.  They feel like the record they keep is full of bad news.  It was fun to tell her that the record is actually full of GOOD NEWS.

“Susan, your expense log may feel like bad news, but it’s really full of good news; and, here it is.

•    “First, you took a really big step in choosing to keep this record.  It took real courage and commitment.  It’s very important that you give yourself credit for taking this big step.

•    “Second, each of us has a personal board of directors in our minds.  Think of your board as those little voices that are always whispering “good choice”, “smart move”, or “ooo, you could have done better”.  This board is always looking at what we’ve done in the past and what we can do in the future with the goal of helping us do our best.  When you reviewed your expense log this morning, your personal board of directors expressed its disappointment in some of your spending choices.  As the CEO (Chief Excellence Officer) of yourself, you agreed with your board of directors and said, “yes, I could have done better”.  The GREAT NEWS is that you took a responsible step and decided that you wanted to make changes in your future spending decisions.

•    Third, the even GREATER NEWS is that your get to make your own plan for making those changes!”

By now, Susan was smiling as she realized that her fear of confronting what she thought was a real weakness had turned out to be a winning move as she took a big step toward financial independence.

Want the secret weapon that Susan used in this real life story?  Here’s what you can do …

1.    Identify three areas where you do not like the choices you have made about how you’ve spent your money.

2.    Set a goal of what you want future decisions to look like.

3.    Write down how you want to reach that goal.

4.    Promise yourself that you will make the changes that will enable you to reach this goal; and, continue to write down your expenses so that you can measure your progress.  (Bonus … if you just sighed and thought that this is too much work, take a second and write down just 1 thing you spent money on today.  Just one.  How long did that take?  Don’t let your emotions fool you into overestimating how much time this will actually take.)

5.    Set a date when you will review this record and decide if you have reached your goal.

Susan left our meeting with renewed confidence that she could control her money rather than have her money control her.

Ironically, the effectiveness of this process is not confined to personal finances.  It can be applied to all aspects of life.  Our internal board of directors is always conducting an on-going performance review … looking at our goals (or lack of goals), the plans we’ve created for reaching those goals, the progress we’ve made toward the attainment of the goals, and rendering a judgment every day; exceeds expectations, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory.  When we receive the board’s daily verdict, we choose how to respond.

•    We accept the accolades for a job well done and vow to keep up the good work;

•   We take credit for the accomplishments and responsibility for the shortcomings and make a plan for improving performance where it is needed; or,

Well, the third choice is giving up; but, that is not an acceptable choice.  The board of directors is not an external body that we can choose to ignore.  Rather, it is a living, breathing, part of who we are and it will always be whispering in our ear.  It cannot be disregarded.

Has your board of directors conducted today’s review? If it has, you know what you want to work on.  If not, there is still time to make today’s review a favorable one.

Filed Under: Financial Coaching, Financial Planning, Goal Setting, Money Management, Personal Finances Tagged With: , , , , ,

So, You Want to Have Your Retirement Cake and Eat It, Too!

July 18, 2012 By

Last month, we saw how Jack’s wife faced an uncertain economic future following his death because of the retirement income choices he had made with the expectation that he would outlive her.  Unfortunately, Jack’s plans did not work out as he expected.

We also saw that his employer had provided options that could have allowed his widow to have an income if she outlived him; but, these choices would have caused them to have a significantly lower monthly retirement income.  What Jack really wanted was a plan that would allow him to have his cake (the maximum monthly retirement income) and eat it (the maximum retirement income for his widow), too.

Knowing Jack, had he been told that such a plan existed, he would probably  have responded that when it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t true.  What Jack did not know was that such a plan does exist and it is not too good to be true.  The plan is often referred to as “Pension Maximization”.

Let’s assume that Jack’s options are as follows:

•    Life Income – this option pays the highest monthly income at his retirement; BUT, that income ends when he dies.  We will assume that this option provided an income of $1,000 per month.

•    75% Partial Benefit – Jack will receive a monthly pension of $750 per month.  At his death, his wife would continue to receive a monthly check in the amount of $250.

•    50% Partial Benefit – Jack will receive a monthly retirement income of $500.  At his death, his wife would continue to receive the same $500 per month.

Pension Maximization allows Jack to choose the Life Income option with a contractual guarantee that his wife will receive a lump sum of money that can be used to create a monthly income.  How can Jack do this?  He can do this through the miracle of life insurance.  Here’s how it works …

Jack will purchase a life insurance policy with a death benefit that, when invested conservatively, will generate a $1,000 per month income for his wife.  To determine the required death benefit, Jack will divide the annual income goal ($12,000) by the interest rate that can be obtained on a conservative investment (for simplicity, we will assume a 5% interest rate).  Expressed as an equation, it looks like this …

12,000 / .05 = 240,000

This equation tells us that Jack will need to purchase a $240,000 life insurance policy.  At his death, his wife takes the lump sum of money and places it into an investment that yields 5% interest.  This will then give her the same monthly income that they enjoyed while Jack was alive; and, if she never invades the principle, will provide a legacy that she can pass on to their children when she dies.

The key to Pension Maximization is to plan ahead.  The younger a person is when they start this plan, the less the life insurance costs.  To demonstrate the difference that starting early can make, I checked with an A+ (Superior) rated life insurance company and found that if Jack, a non-smoker in good health, had purchased a $240,000 whole life policy at age 45, his monthly premium would have been $325.015.  Had he waited to purchase the policy until age 65 and assuming that he was still in excellent health, he’d have paid $780.42 each month.  Clearly, planning ahead offers tremendous advantages.

Filed Under: Financial Coaching, Financial Planning, Making Money Last, Money Management, Pension Maximization, Pension Maximization, Pension Planning, Pension Planning, Personal Finances, Retirement Income, Retirement Planning

Personality Types and Leadership – Do Leaders Have Multiple Personalities?

May 17, 2012 By
I had a fascinating conversation last week with a client who had recently completed a COREMAP assessment.  After discussing the outcomes of the assessment, we determined that his dominant personality was that of a Commander with highly developed Organizer traits as his secondary or back-up personality.  This is a relatively common combination, but what made him atypical was that he also had highly developed Relater traits as well and Relater was his tertiary personality.  When I told him about this, he was concerned that these different facets of the same person would create mental conflicts.  He laughingly asked if I was suggesting that he had some kind of “multiple personality thingy” … was I saying that “someday, someone would write a book or make a movie about the multiple faces of ME?”
After we both laughed, I explained that each of us contains all four personality types and that, at various times, we all call upon each of those personalities to help us deal with situations.  To explain how we use them, the following scenario was created —
Let’s assume that the team you lead at work has encountered a problem that must be solved.

• Your Relater tells your mind, “we have a problem that is causing disharmony … it must be resolved in order to restore harmony”.  Your Relater identifies the problem.

•Your Organizer tells your mind, “here are the steps that must be taken to solve the problem and restore harmony”.  It provides the details to the solution.

• Your Commander now instructs the team to take the steps necessary to solve the problem and the time frame in which they must be taken.  In essence, the Commander says, “here’s what must be done, let’s do it!”
Rather than creating conflict, each facet of our personality steps up and does what it does best helping us solve problems and resolve conflict.
Filed Under: Dynamic Leadership, How personality type impacts leadership, Lead from strength, Leadership, Personal Coaching, Personality Assessment, Personality types, What characterizes good leaders Tagged With: , , , ,
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