And we want to let you in on a little secret. Everyone has the capacity to do this. You just have to have the right mindset and be willing to step up to the plate to do the right thing. So what does this look like exactly? 

Personal Leadership Evolution

First, you need to develop a growth mindset so that you can evolve. There is no revolution without an evolution, so develop a hunger for improving yourself. The reality is that leaders should never stop learning. It’s important to continuously try to become a better version of yourself, so spend time reading, researching and reaching out to others. This will help you learn new and better ways to do your job, and how you can better interact with others. This is critical to your leadership success because relationships are the backbone of great workplace culture. And, remember, being a leader “in your whole life” means it’s also critical with your pesonal connections.

The act of evolving also includes a heavy dose of self-reflection. It is important to understand how you truly show up at work and in the world at large. One easy way to accomplish this is to take a personality assessment. We like the Everything DiSC model for its reliability and validity. Being able to honestly acknowledge your personality struggles will help you map out the necessary steps to improve in those areas where you might be lacking. 

Leading with Emotional Intelligence

EQ is the 2nd thing you should work hard to develop as a leader. EQ, or emotional intelligence, has gotten a lot of attention in the last several years, and for good reason. It’s basically the human ability to understand and regulate our own feelings and help others do the same when needed. This plays a huge part in whether we manage our relationships, or we let them manage us. And we’ve already stated just how important those relationships are to leadership success and the organizational culture as a whole. Taking steps toward a personal leadership mentality will improve your EQ, as well. The components of EQ are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Each one of these is a necessary part of any leader’s toolbox. 

Personal Leadership (R)evolution

Third, be the change you want to see in the workplace. This is the revolution waiting to happen. For instance, standing up for what’s right, even if it’s not popular. Or, taking the lead when others won’t. It also means working hard, playing fair and trying every day to become a better you. It won’t be easy, but it’s so worth it because at the end of the day, you can feel really good about the work you’re doing on yourself and the ripple effect of that effort. It’s exponential.

Here’s a little visualization exercise that might help: Picture a group of people standing in a swimming pool at about 4’ deep. One person begins to walk in a circle, and creates a small whirlpool. People standing nearby in the water can feel the subtle pull of the current. When they begin to join the circle, they help create an even bigger current, and eventually others that join the group get swept up automatically in the pull of the current. 

Now some currents can be dangerous. People can be swept out to sea in a rip tide or sucked under in a whirlpool. Neither outcome is good. Creating a current guided by honesty, integrity and passion draws others in who will follow your lead creating an even stronger pull. Eventually, the pull is strong enough to move everyone in a given direction. But, remember: just as the strength of that current can lead to a powerful positive force in your organization, it can also wreak havoc on company culture if led by the wrong intentions. This is where true leadership at all levels comes into play. If you see that your company’s current might be moving in the wrong direction, jump in and help alter that path. Even the slightest shift can make all the difference in the world. 

Lead the Change

We like to say that “there is no “I” in team, but every team is made up of Individuals”, and it’s the responsibility of each individual to help create a thriving culture in their organization. It doesn’t matter where you fall on the org chart. In fact, that is irrelevant. What does matter is that you take the initiative to develop and exercise your own personal leadership ability. Don’t just sit back and assume that it’s someone else’s responsibility. Stand up and take action today because whether you realize it or not, others are always watching. They’re waiting to see whether or not it’s safe to get caught up in your current. So our challenge to you is this: be the change you want to see in the workplace by working on you. Personal leadership matters.

And if you’d like some help, we offer leadership development and emotional intelligence training. Call us to get started. After all, the Culture R(e)volution starts with you.

You may also like:

It Takes A Village

Building Resilience Amidst Uncertainty – Part 1

Diversity & Equality: Our Story

Your Personality at Work

The Conscientious Leader

If you are a Conscientious, or “C” type personality, you tend to be task-oriented, and you emphasize quality and accuracy in everything you do. You’re usually questioning and curious and have well-defined goals. As a leader, you are conscientious (duh!), objective, and dependable. These strengths let your teammates know that they can count on you to be precise and correct. But leadership is more than producing the perfect project or product. To be a leader, you have to have people willing to follow you. Which means the perfectionism that you pride yourself on may get in the way of developing good working relationships with those you lead. To lead, you have to learn to rally the troops which means understanding that humans are, well, human. They make mistakes. You make mistakes. Mistakes help us to become better at what we do, IF we take the time to learn from them.

Tip For The “C” Type Leader

Having high expectations is important. Remember that perfectionism is a state we aspire to, but never truly achieve. Focus instead on connecting with your teammates. Your teammates may have a variety of personality styles that you don’t understand. So, take the time to find out who they are and what makes them tick. And let them see into your personality as well. The more you understand each other, the better the team will operate. Which means that they’ll get closer to the perfection you seek.

Lead With The Dominant Personality

If you are a Dominant or “D” type personality you tend to be results-oriented. You make quick decisions, are direct with others, and you don’t have an issue confronting conflict when it arises. As a leader, you are dynamic and engaging, you encourage innovation, and focus on solutions. You’re also agile, a big thinker and you encourage innovation.  Your teammates know that if there’s a way to win, you will find it. But don’t get a big head yet. Leading isn’t just about competition and being 1st to cross the finish lone. It involves encouraging others to work as hard as you, without intimidating or coercing them because those behaviors are destructive. To encourage your teammates you need to know what motivates them. Different personality types are motivated by different things. I know it may come as a shock, but not everyone is motivated by competition.

Tip For The “D” Type Leader

To figure out what motivates your team members, you need to slow down and ask questions, being considerate of their feelings and their answers. Make the time find out how to motivate your people appropriately will ultimately get you the results you crave.

Lead With The Influence Personality

If you are an Influence, or “I” type personality, you tend to be very people-focused and a creative problem solver. As a leader you are great at rallying others to a cause or goal, negotiating conflict, and creating a caring work environment. People on your team genuinely like you because you’re fun and creative. Plus they know work will never be boring if you’re around! However, to be successful at leading, you have to move beyond motivating, creating and innovating. Accountability and producing results are just as important. So, you’ll need to learn to provide some sort of  structure for the team, even if it’s difficult for you. This is no small feat for someone who is always searching for the next new idea that just might save the day, win the award, make the most money, or have the most impact.

Tip For The “I” Type Leader

Putting structure into place doesn’t have to be boring, it just needs to keep your team on track til the end of the project. So use a visual or graphic organizer for the team and yourself. Work backwards when planning to make sure you don’t miss a necessary step in your processes. Put reminders on your calendar, use time blocking, or some other method to keep you on track.  The key will be to make it colorful and/or fun to keep you engaged.

The Steady Leader

If you are a Steady or “S” type personality you are probably very process-oriented, and accepting and supportive of others. You give people space to share their ideas because collaboratinon is very important to you.  As a leader, you nurture the culture by encouraging teamwork and exhibiting diplomacy, empathy, and diligence. Your teammates see you as a true team player because they know they can always count on you to listen. These strengths help you to build mutual trust and respect which is critical to team building, but to be a really good leader, you also have to be agile.  If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that to succeed in this world, you have to learn pivot when necessary. As an “S” type, you prefer a stable environment, but stability can also breed complacency and a lack of innovation.

Tip For The “S” Type Leader

Develop a healthy relationship with change by viewing it as a prerequisite for innovation and opportunity. Your team needs to see that you are willing to set the example or at least be a willing accomplice to some new ideas and processes. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon the tried and true for the new-fangled. It just means you need to train yourself to be willing to see the value of something new when it’s in front of you.

Conclusion

Your personality type is what makes you, you. It’s your special sauce, and should help you shine as a leader, not hold you back. Continuing to only focus on your strengths will not do you any favors.  In fact, the areas where you are the weakest, have the opportunity to undo all the progress your strengths have created. As a leader, you must be willing to develop and hone new skills. Obviously this takes time and patience, but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day!  To lead with personality, just start practicing the tip that matches your personality type and watch the progress begin.

The culture (r)evolution starts with you!

If you’re interested in learning how to maximize the strengths and minimize the struggles of your particular personality type, give us a call.  We specialize in the diversity of personality.

You may also like:

It Takes A Village

Building Resilience Amidst Uncertainty – Part 1

Diversity & Equality: Our Story

Your Personality at Work