Two weeks ago, I shared with you a friend’s view that committing even small acts of kindness required courage, risk, and sacrifice. We’ve had several conversations during the past week and he made a very valid point. It was that, “what does the individual person view as a sacrifice?”. He went on to cite how an outgoing person might view interaction as opposed to how a person who is not outgoing might view the same interaction with another person.
WOW! Has he made a good point. Consider the personality traits of the four COREMAP personality styles.
The Extroverted personalities, the Commanders and Entertainers among us, are very comfortable with interacting with others. In fact, interaction with others energizes both Commanders and Entertainers so much so that they will look for and create opportunities to do so.
- Commanders tend to be interested in possibilities. For the Commander, helping another person is a step toward a brighter, more productive future. They see a situation requiring action and are born to be action takers. Reaching out to help another satisfies their need to affect outcomes.
- Entertainers are friendly and tend to be curious about the unknowns. They are very adept at reading people and are excellent communicators and motivators For the Entertainer, that small, helpful, interaction is a chance to learn more about the other person; a chance to see what adventures their action can lead to; an opportunity to help another person reach their true potential.
Introverted personalities, Organizers and Relaters, are drained of their energy by interaction with others. For these individuals, interacting with others requires the commitment of a great deal of energy and for this reason they much prefer to stay quietly in the background
- Organizers are very observant of details and abhor disorder and chaos. They tend to be good team players and will do what is necessary to ensure the success of the team. For the Organizer, the act of helping another presents the chance to bring order out of confusion; to learn facts and details that will help them solve problems; to take actions that promote the success of the team as a whole.
- Relaters are very observant and tend to focus on the needs of others. For the Relater, committing a “random act of kindness” is all about meeting the needs of another person; resolving a problem with the aim of promoting the common good. Because these things are uppermost in their minds, Relaters are able to overcome their natural tendency to hang back in order to achieve these goals.
As my friend pointed out, in the final analysis, Great Leaders do not see that small act as a sacrifice. Rather, they see it as a part of their responsibility as a leader … to resolve problems; to take the actions that are required to create the desired outcome and lead the team to success; to help team members reach their full potential.
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