Good leaders make their work look easy. But the reality is that most have had to work hard on themselves — by managing or compensating for potentially career-limiting traits. To grow as an executive, you need to recognize and manage your strongest tendencies.
Traits that benefit an executive in one position often do not work well in another position. Moving into new roles or environments, executives may need to play up or rein in different facets of their personalities. Strengths can become weaknesses.
Psychologists have identified countless traits distinguishing us from one another. But recent research has converged toward five broad dimensions, each comprising a cluster of traits that account for the majority of the differences among individual personalities. These dimensions have been dubbed the Big Five: need for stability, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Drawing on their extensive coaching work with senior executives, the authors identify common leadership pitfalls associated with high and low scores on each of the Big Five personality dimensions, as well as potential solutions. For example, executives who tend to dominate group settings – demonstrating high levels of extraversion – can practice the “four-sentence” rule: limiting whatever they have to say to four sentences. Executives who are too blunt or aggressive – demonstrating low levels of agreeableness – can practice the art of cushioning their criticisms with phrases such as “let me play devil’s advocate for a moment” or “if I put on my critic’s hat.”
Self-awareness, the authors conclude, is the inevitable starting point for managing one’s psychological preferences. Without it, executives will struggle to evolve or find coping strategies. With it, leaders can learn where their natural inclinations lie – and they can boost or compensate for those inclinations, depending on the circumstances. The idea is not to undergo a personality change. It is to be yourself, with more skill.
1 Comment On: How to Become a Better Leader
Clearly the “Big Five” are key influencers in the adaptability of a successful leadership.
The results of Leadership effectiveness come from the decisions and directives that the individuals provide in various instances and situations. There is a need for clarity between the long term leadership effectiveness and short term performance from individuals.
Long term leadership excellence and proven results come with a compromise on the niceties that are good to maintain meeting decorum and “group delight”. Likes of “Steve Jobs” are embody such traits. These traits indicate a product or service excellence and a strategic direction and Vision, most driven by an individual.
Short term Leadership traits are necessary for settling the chaos in the group and providing a direction and unified thinking. Typical reactive mechanism responding to competition and markets dynamics. leadership traits here look for more decorum and receptive approach to achieve team results.
Clearly there is a need to dwell more into the depth of Leadership trait in different business situations and demands. Along with the “Big Five” personality dimensions the business impact of the dimensions in various situations could be much more helpful.
Very Helpful Analysis on personal dimensions. Thanks a lot for bring it up.