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3 lies leaders tell themselves daily…
If you’re anything like me, these are things I’ve struggled with in the past…so many leaders get caught up in these lies. We’ll cover three of the biggest lies many leaders tell themselves, why, and what you can do about it TODAY in your leadership.
1. “Leading people is like leading me”
Do you tend to hire people with personality styles that match up to you?
If you’re hiring just like you, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Each personality style brings incredible strengths to a team, and you’re missing out if everyone on your team is just like you!
On the other hand, if you have different personality styles on the team then I am going to guess that you may struggle with leading them according to their personality styles.
As a leader, it can be so frustrating to not understand why your team isn’t doing what you’re asking of them…or continually falling short in an area or role. If you find yourself in this place as a leader, stop and ask, “how am I leading them to success? Am I leading them based on their personality style? Is what I’m asking them going against their personality style?”
Leading well, is leading your team in the way they receive information. If you need a crash course on Personality Styles, get the tools you need here.
If you want a successful team, you must lead them based on their personality style, not how you want to be led.
2. “How I act and react, is how my team acts and reacts”
Many leaders believe everyone should respond to a situation the way they do. In leading, you must act and react in a way that is beneficial to them. Communication looks very different for high D’s than it does for high S’s. Your team needs to hear information in a way that will move them forward…sometimes for high D’s, it’s a two-by-four over the head.
You can’t just sit back and ask, “why are they not where I need them to be?” You have to be asking the question, “is this exactly the role they need to be in?” Put a plan together to make your team member successful, and they will get to where you need them to be.
3. “How I hear and understand things as a leader, is how my team hears things.”
Years ago, I had an event coordinator working for me that was fantastic. Why? Because she thought the way I did. I just knew if I gave her information, she would make it happen. So I promoted her, and brought in another person to fill her role. I would say to my new hire, “hey, go do this thing.” She would leave and come back asking, “What exactly is it you wanted me to do?” She would go out again and then come back…”So, what did you want me to do?”
I could not understand why it was such a challenge. To figure out what was going on, I decided to go with this team member and see where the issue was happening.
I quickly found out, I was the problem.
I kept trying to lead her the same way as I did her predecessor. I kept assuming she would be able to do exactly as I was asking without giving any information…and that was my mistake. I went back and poured through her DISC profile, and saw everything I was doing to set her up for failure. I was expecting her to be the same, and not leading her in her strengths. She needed far more details. I also quickly figured out that her predecessor would always get it done, but with a trail of destruction in her wake. Highly detailed personalities need to be led in a completely different way.
The keys are understanding how each individual hears things, understands concepts, acts, reacts, and how they need to be led in their personality style. There are no hacks to this. You need to learn how to lead each person individually. It will make you a better leader.
Here’s something you can do today, RIGHT now…
Think about someone on your team that you’re struggling to lead…
- Sit down with their personality profile.
- Read through all the information and see if it leans in the direction of the role you have them in.
- See how they see leaders, projects, how they approach you.
And lastly…ask yourself, “what have I not led them well in?”
Resources:
Next-Level Leadership Live Event
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Are there cameras in our office? Chris, you are so dead on. It is frustrating for the leader and anyone under him when you’re personality styles don’t gel.
I spent my first 5 years dealing with a High D leader going 100 miles a minute and i am 98% C. Man, the cursing that came my way when i asked a follow up question. What a relief it was when a new leader took his place, one who embraced my extreme detail personality. He actually appreciates it when he asks for 3-4 things for a project and receives a few extra he didn’t know where available.