So you want to be a leader… #4
How to better understand ourselves and others.
Two issues ago, in #2 of this series, we discussed the Six Domains of Leadership™ (SDL) model, to me, one of the clearest and most effective leadership models. Then last time, in #3, we talked about Situational Leadership, a model complementary to the SDL model that takes into account the commitment and readiness of the follower.
These two models are an excellent way to think about your leadership and how to apply and develop it.
This time I want to talk briefly about some models that help us understand who we are, who our team members are, how we prefer to work, etc. These models can help us improve our Relational and Contextual Leadership (refer to the Six Domains of Leadership for details in #2 of this series).
There are numerous models in this space, including Myers Briggs, but I would like to focus on two:
- Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius
- Wilson Social Styles of Communication
Working Genius
Patrick Lencioni at the Table Group is a well-known author and consultant on leadership and groups. One of his most famous book is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, a fable of what makes team fail or succeed. As he and his team have worked with organizations, they came to realize that each individual has things they like to do and that give them energy (the working genius items), some that they dislike and drain them (the working frustrations), and some that while you may be good at doing, they do not give you energy (working competency).
Mr. Lencioni’s model proposes the following six types of genius:
- Wonder — ponders, thinks, and questions the state of things.
- Invention — comes up with new ideas and solutions.
- Discernment — assesses a situation and identifies issues and potential options.
- Galvanizing — rallies people to achieve the goal.
- Enablement — provides support and assistance when people need it.
- Tenacity — pushes things across the finish line.
For those of us who like acronyms, it spells WIDGET! Easier to remember for us.
Mr. Lencioni has published a book about this model, The 6 Types of Working Genius, and he offers a quick assessment at their website.
In most group efforts, all six types are needed but obviously not by the same person. If a genius or two are missing, the team may struggle. Mr. Lencioni at times mentions a case of a company they were consulting with, whose future depended on building new products yet they did not have anyone on their senior staff with the genius of invention except for their lawyer! That provided quite an insight to the organization as without invention new products would not be developed.
The site also offers the ability to generate a group report that will tell you if you lack a genius in your team.
While not a leadership model, it helps us understand how people work, their preferences, etc. It helps us see if someone is in the wrong role (e.g., someone who hates detail work and follow through having a role that requires Tenacity) so that we can make adjustments.
Wilson Social Styles of Communication
This model defines four primary communication styles:
- Driver — task-focused and tells what to do
- Expressive — people-focused but tells what to do
- Amiable — people-focused but asks people to do the task
- Analytical — task-focused; asks people to do the task
These are mapped in a 2x2 matrix where the vertical axis is Task vs. People orientation (top to bottom) and the horizontal axis is how they approach people when something has to be done: Ask (left) vs. Tell (right). The diagram below from their website shows this matrix:
While these styles are what people prefer and typically use, there’s another variable, Versatility, that can help leaders handle these differences in communication preferences. A highly versatile person (leader) can adapt and adjust their communication style to better fit the style preferences of their audience.
More details are available at their site or in the book The Social Styles Handbook.
Tracom provides training specifically on the Social Style Model including an assessment tool. Many years ago I did such an assessment but I cannot be sure it’s the same. Yet, I found it very valuable in understanding my style and how to understand other’s preferences.
Summary
While not leadership models, these two models and similar ones can help us understand ourselves and others better. It is yet another set of tools to lead better and to help the team perform better.
Books mentioned in this article
The following books are mentioned above.
Contact
Contact me at jose@coachsolera.com to find out how to improve your leadership.
Website
Visit my team performance coaching website: https://coachsolera.com
See my profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josesolera
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