Leadership is not always an easy job. We don't always get to pick who is on our team as leaders. In fact, a leader often takes over a team whose members have been there for a long time and may even know more about the work than the leader. No matter what is going on, a leader's job is to get everyone on the team to work together to reach the same goal. This can be a difficult task. So often, a team is made up of people who are very different from each other and have their own strengths, weaknesses, and ways of working. Team dynamics are also often complicated by disagreements and conflicts between people on the team. Not only does the leader have to work with this group of people, but they also have to get the results that their bosses want.
Leaders can get a lot out of being able to tell what kind of personality traits their team members have. By knowing the basic personality types, the leader can use the strengths of each team member for the good of the group and give each person tasks that they are good at. A leader can also learn to talk to team members in a way that motivates them by taking into account their needs, values, and working styles.
A good leader will get the best results by working with and taking advantage of the strengths and ways of working of each person on the team. The leader can bring the team into a productive balance and harmony by putting each member's strengths in the right place and making up for their weaknesses.
A quick look at the different values and work styles of the four main personality types shows how important it is for a successful leader to know about these things. We'll use the colours Gold, Blue, Green, and Orange to talk about the four kinds of people.
The strong Gold worker is very serious about his or her job and responsibilities. People with gold personalities want to make a difference, be a part of a team, and be successful and useful. They do well with praise, rewards, and other incentives. But people on the Gold team need clear roles and structures, clear expectations and deadlines, and reassurance from people in charge that they are on the right track.
For the strong Blue personality to work well, there needs to be a lot of people around. Relationships are very important to them, and they need the freedom to build relationships with coworkers, customers, and employers. Strong Blues don't like conflict and fierce competition, but they will do well in an environment that is positive, creative, and focused on service.
People who have a strong Green personality are known more for their knowledge than for their people skills. They are very good at projects that involve facts, data, research, and analysis. Greens are great at designing, understanding complicated systems, and making plans. For the Green, facts are the most important thing, but they have trouble sticking to routines and can be a bit cold in social situations.
The people on the orange team stand out for their energy, skill, and creativity. The freedom to use their skills and abilities is very important to an Orange. If there is too much structure or if their boss is very controlling, people with an orange personality type feel stuck and can't do their jobs well. Orange personalities like being around other people and work well in an atmosphere of teamwork, competition, and friendship. But they like to get things done and get impatient with long talks and complicated administrative tasks.
If a leader knows the colours of the people on his team, he can use that information to make sure that everyone works together well and as a whole. By letting each team member work in their natural areas of strength and by communicating with them in a way that inspires harmony and teamwork, the leader is well on their way to getting amazing results.
