Personalities and leadership
16/Feb/2007 08:24
When it comes
to leadership, how relevant is personality?
Leadership development workshops often allocate time
to explore this question. The Harvard program does
not. However, one of the students in the class
happens to be trained in Myers-Briggs personality
analysis. He volunteered to take us through it—and
almost half the class participated. I joined in
because I am one of those people who can’t resist
self-discovery exercises, even though the skeptic in
me questions the science. The results: I am an
intuitive, judging introvert. My score on the
“life-style orientation” came in half way between “J”
(judging) and “P” (perceiving). This means I am
either an INTJ (“everything has room for
improvement”) or an INTP (“a love for problem
solving”). Those of you know me are probably thinking
you could have told me this without having me fill in
a questionnaire.
These kinds
of personality exercises give people in a group an
opportunity to recognize and discuss their individual
differences and to signal their particular needs.
Almost all groups are made up of individuals who see
and experience the world differently. Many people
assume that fearless, outspoken extraverts make the
best leaders. In fact, good leadership has less to do
with having a specific personality as it does with
understanding the personalities of others. Good union
leaders—and good union educators—appreciate that the
individuals who make up the membership respond to
things in a variety of ways. Some look to a leader
for logical arguments and indications of competence,
whereas others might respond better when a leader can
tap into their emotions. Some members do better
receiving information visually, so leaders have to
paint a picture of a problem for it to be understood.
Good leaders also understand that a group works best and is most powerful if it is inclusive of different personality types. Differences within a group can make it stronger and more dynamic—but only if the differences are managed and facilitated. And that’s the job of leaders.
There are lots of tools—many more straightforward than Myers-Briggs—that can help a group identify and better understand the personalities that are contained within it. This understanding is key to building positive group dynamics. Training for Change, for example, offers a "team types" discussion tool that invites members of a group to stand in either the North, South, East or West positions according to how they see themselves. I’ve done the exercise as part of leadership training workshops, and in bargaining preparation workshops, and found it to be a useful device to make people more sensitive to the personality factors that conribute to group dynamics.
If you are curious about your own personality type, and can’t wait until one of these workshops to come along to find out, you can google Myers-Briggs to get pages of information, or complete an on-line questionnaire. Even if you think it is hocus pocus, it can be useful in leadership development.
Good leaders also understand that a group works best and is most powerful if it is inclusive of different personality types. Differences within a group can make it stronger and more dynamic—but only if the differences are managed and facilitated. And that’s the job of leaders.
There are lots of tools—many more straightforward than Myers-Briggs—that can help a group identify and better understand the personalities that are contained within it. This understanding is key to building positive group dynamics. Training for Change, for example, offers a "team types" discussion tool that invites members of a group to stand in either the North, South, East or West positions according to how they see themselves. I’ve done the exercise as part of leadership training workshops, and in bargaining preparation workshops, and found it to be a useful device to make people more sensitive to the personality factors that conribute to group dynamics.
If you are curious about your own personality type, and can’t wait until one of these workshops to come along to find out, you can google Myers-Briggs to get pages of information, or complete an on-line questionnaire. Even if you think it is hocus pocus, it can be useful in leadership development.
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