I recently attended Economic Time's Young Leaders training powered by CEB (now Gartner) and Federal Bank Ltd. The above topic was our key discussion. These are my takeaways from the training.
Every individual aspires to emerge as a leader and be recognized by their fellow beings. But many fail to do so. Because they don't comprehend themselves and people they are associated with. Many leaders fail to accomplish the team targets because they are self-centered and ignore their team's skills to collectively evolve and achieve together.
Having a good knowledge of the four major behavior traits can help you nurture yourself to become an effective and most influential leader.
The major behavior traits are - analytical, amiable, driver and expressive. As the picture of Madagascar Movie (above) portrays, each character represents a behavior trait. Let's see which category you fall into.
1. Analytical
They constantly ask the question 'why' to whatever they hear or think new. They are the 'perfectionists' who value details and accuracy more than anything. You cannot debate with them regarding emotional or situational context as they only focus on logic and best output.They present themselves and their ideas in a presentable/orderly manner.
Analytical type of people are the most 'logical' or 'data-driven' folks you can find.
Area of Improvement - going behind more data and analysis can lead to being less productive/ time-consuming at work. Either gather required information in less time or else learn to perform with limited resources.
Career recommended- Accounting, Engineering, IT Analyst etc
2. Amiable
They are all about 'coming to an agreement'. They can bring two extreme individuals to agree on a particular point. They are the most neutral/safe-playing among any group. They tend to keep everyone happy and justified. A win-win situation is all that they care about.
Amiable people are the peace promoters in any group/organization.
Area of Improvement - Eager to compromise/adjust/settle quickly than standing up for a right opinion.Will affect self-confidence/self-improvement.
Career recommended- Human Resource, Hospitality, Social Services etc
3. Driver
They are the most spontaneous and 'smart workers' in an organization. Like the title, they often drive a mission and aim to achieve in time. All they care about is the result and tend to do anything required to get it done. They tend to give the least consideration to people associated with them / team members while performing a task. They can take quick decisions.
Drivers are confident, independent and self-motivated.
Area of Improvement - Need to improve team skills and interaction with peers. Try listening more than talking.
Career recommended- Sales, Marketing etc
4. Expressive
They are the 'visionaries' who can grasp the 'big picture' of a scenario. They have good EQ and have best networking skills. Their 'panoramic' observation helps them take decisions which no one ever took.They are often driven by their gut feelings and quite adventurous in nature. Cracking a conversation with someone is comparatively a cake walk for them and so is going up the hierarchy.
Expressive people are fun loving 'politicians' who loves adventure.
Area of Improvement - Need to improve attention to details. Lacks execution with perfection. Be more professional than being social.
Career recommended- Business Development, Operations, Management etc
For an effective leader (or aspirants), he/she needs to take care of two things:
- Self-improvement/polishing according to your trait and recommended changes
- Understanding your team members' traits and guiding them according to their limitations
Having said all that, few may tend to find two or more traits to coexist in themselves. Well, this is just situational and one trait dominates everyone's behavior. There are psychometric tests and MCQs available online, which can help you find your dominant trait.
I found that I am an 'expressive' person, though I guessed to be a selfless 'driver' :)
To conclude, any individual can be a Leader in their particular domain if they constantly evolve and adapt to circ*mstances. Which trait do you belong? Please share your views in comments.
