29 Mar Your strategy is set for 2022, but can you execute it well with your current leadership style?
Many leaders start the year with a series of well-defined goals and plans for their teams. The emphasis is on what work needs to be done, who can do that work and various deadlines and timelines for completion.
At Talent Suite, we encourage leaders to take a moment before implementing new plans, to first examine their personal leadership styles, and how their style may help or hinder their ability to do the work that needs to be done. It’s an extra step in the process, but one that can save time and headaches down the road.
What do we mean by leadership style? Each of us has our own. Behavior analytics are a great way to objectively assess both strengths and weaknesses in yourself and your team members.
Predictive Index (PI) shows that some leaders are more hands on, while others prefer to delegate. With years of data under our belts, we’ve identified three common leadership style pitfalls that can be disruptive to teams and interfere with employee productivity. We also have ways to manage and mitigate these pitfalls, so don’t worry!
We’ve included PI profiles that can—but doesn’t always–coincide with these leadership pitfalls.
- The Overconfident Leader: This leader values their ideas most and seldom seeks approval or asks others’ opinions. They arrive at creative solutions, are not afraid of failure, and have little patience for those who don’t share their same vision or confidence. They are generally gregarious and well-liked by peers and have no problem delegating, so they can continue to come up with the big picture plans while others do the work. The PI Profile Maverick often falls into this category.
- The Impulsive Leader: This perpetual self-starter, goal-oriented leader is always on to the next best thing. They have lots of ideas and plans, but no patience to stop and see the plans to fruition. These leaders are inspiring to their employees but sometimes exhausting. Employees often feel like they are constantly changing directions at the whims of this leader. The PI Profile Venturer fits this mold.
- The Controlling Leader: This leader has a hard time letting go of any authority. They want a say over all decisions and projects, and they believe their proven way is the right way– until proven otherwise. Diligent and able to stay on task, this leader is hard-driving and gets things done, but often doesn’t involve the team in decisions on how to get things done. The PI Profile who exhibits this trait most often is the Controller – not to be confused with a financial controller.
What to do if your style fits one of these? Now it’s time to learn to flex and adapt. Here’s what we mean:
Maverick:
- Identify a team member who can help you implement a structure so your many ideas don’t get lost in the shuffle.
- Schedule regular update meetings with your team using a detailed agenda or outline.
- Put concrete actions into a timeline that the entire team can access.
These are all ways that the Maverick can ensure all their big ideas actually have a chance to be executed.
Venturer:
- Start every new project by defining key goals and milestones, so the project stays on task.
- Go into team meetings with the intent to ask more questions and include team members in their process from the beginning.
- Begin delegating low-stakes tasks, then build to bigger tasks so your team can feel like an integral part of the project.
Bringing intention and planning to team meetings can ensure that the Venturer isn’t moving too quickly and leaving a confused team in their wake.|
Controller:
- Practice reframing questions in group discussions, to avoid coming across as too critical and rigid.
- Create meeting agendas that encourage each team member to share and explain their perspectives.
- Focus on delegating to team members who offer creative or new solutions to problems.
A controller can easily get bogged down in minutiae and de-motivate their team members by not allowing them to take ownership. Taking these steps will lighten your workload and boost confidence in your team!
As we tell all new clients when we begin work with them, the key to building good teams and being able to execute on strategies is to arm yourself with data about who is doing the work and how they show up in the workplace. This includes the leaders themselves, not just their employees!
Contact us today to learn more about our leadership development program where the experience is more boardroom and less classroom.