People lead in different ways, and contrary to popular belief, even great leaders are not great at everything. Understanding your unique leadership style means you know where you shine, and you know where you need support. And the more you understand yourself, the easier it is to understand your team.
When thinking about your unique leadership style, it can be useful to look at yourself through 4 distinct lenses:
1. Relationships
How do you relate to the people around you? Are you quick to form relationships or does it take time to develop connections? Do you think about your colleagues as individuals or as part of a team? Do you tend to focus energy on relationships or tasks? Do you consider relationships a means to an end, or are relationships the end themselves?
2. Thinking
How do you think and plan for the future? Are you a big-picture or fine-detail thinker? Do you leap then learn, or learn then leap? What is your decision-making process and how quickly do you work through it? Would you call yourself a creative or logical thinker?
3. Doing
How do you go about getting things done? Do you like to focus on one thing through to completion, or do you prefer to bounce around and get variety? Do you like to do things yourself or delegate to others? Are you a go-hard or go-home kind of person, or do you prefer to work at a more even pace?
4. Influencing
How do you influence the people around you? Do you prefer to win people over with likeability or excellence? How do you encourage people to follow your lead? Do you influence through unshakeable confidence or transparent vulnerability?
There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. They simply help form your unique leadership style, and if you reflect on your answers, it becomes easier to see where you might shine, and where you might need support.
To get a more accurate picture of your leadership style, you could complete a Clifton Strengths assessment online. The assessment takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and will give you a detailed report of your leadership style. You can purchase the assessment directly from Gallup, or we can organise the assessment and some follow-up coaching for you.
In any case, when you know your strengths, you know your super-powers. And when you know your super-powers, it’s also easier to understand your kryptonite!
There’s no point trying to be like the leader across the room. Focus on what comes naturally to you, and work on doing those things even better. When you focus on your strengths, your weaknesses take care of themselves.
For more information about Strengths Coaching and how to understand your unique leadership style, email kerri@realteam.co.nz.