It’s too simple to say that leaders fit into one of two categories but the more I work with leaders the more I see them trapped by their own temperament. Leaders are either relational; they see every situation from a people perspective or they are rational; seeing every situation as a formula. This past week I had occasion to see each of these leaders at work. The relational leader was stuck in an unenviable situation by being too people focused. The rational leader was frustrated trying to hone a process in order to overcome the human factors that keep disrupting his achievement.
I could see the pain in these situations and realized as I listened that each is trapped in an environment constrained by their individual, innate temperaments (see the DISC assessment at http://characterofleadership.com/assessments.aspx )The hard truth is that leaders have to rise above (www.characterofleadership.com) their temperament in order to lead effectively.
We learn in school and through experience to see situations as choices between the ends of a spectrum. Our temperament perpetuates the myth that there are only resources enough to build predictable formulas to run my organization or to have engaged employees, not both. However, the most effective leaders refuse to be limited by “or” thinking. Instead, they make choices the embrace the best of both relational and rational thinking. These leaders take the harder course; choosing both predictable formulas and fully engaged motivated people.
Are you trapped by "or" thinking?
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