Highlights:

* Successful organizations understand people.

* Know your own behavior style and the styles of others to strengthen your effectiveness as a leader.

* Learn how to apply behavior styles to strengthen your leadership outcomes using these biweekly articles.


“Dealing with people is probably the biggest problem you face, especially if you are in business,” says Dale Carnegie in his book, How to Win friends & Influence People.

Getting things done through people is what managers do. An effective leader is aware of behavior styles of his employees and takes them into consideration when assigning duties and communicating with them.

Have you ever observed a person who is directive, not aware of the feelings of others, not concerned with relationships, but only concerned in achieving the objective? Maybe you can recall a coach you’ve had. Have you observed the opposite style where the person works to avoid competitive situations, and is concerned with being supported and caring for others. Maybe a nurse or teacher comes to mind.

Have you ever met a person who expected all others to be organized and logical, with clear desks and overly concerned about detail? Maybe the accountant? On the other hand, you may know a person who is rather spontaneous and creative and uncomfortable with order and authority. This person might be an artist or jazz musician.

These four behaviors are found in all organizations. How do we work effectively with these people? Signal to them that you understand them by exhibiting their behavior characteristics when you work with them.

I don’t mean to pretend to be a person you are not, but when you are with a co-worker who has a warrior style of behavior, like a coach, be more assertive, self-confident, and take strong positions. With a peacemaker style, like a teacher, be more approachable, giving recognition and encouragement. When you expect a logical teammate to visit your work place make sure it’s neat and orderly, and the information you provide is objective and emotionally detached. And finally, when meeting with a creative employee be more curious, impulsive, and have fun and think big.

“To get people to follow you, you have to get them to relate to you,” say Goffee and Jones in their December 2005 article in the Harvard Business Review. People will relate to you when you signal to them that you understand them.

This involves a mutual relationship between leaders and followers. You have probably seen the dynamics of this relationship dictate organizational success and failure. It’s like watching a controlled building-demolition – when it fails. When managers fail it is usually due to lack of people skills, not technical skills. Organizations have enough managers who are trained to emphasize numbers, they also need managers who are trained in people skills.

Heads-Up Leadership means recognizing and understanding four behavior styles in ourselves and in others, and using them to create improved outcomes. Carole Austen of the Creative Problem-Solving Institute, in Carmel, California introduced the behavior styles to me. Carole is a researcher and educator whose experience suggests that the human brain is wired in such a way that individuals tend to behave from four archetype identities, or behavioral styles:

Warrior. I-oriented person interested in individual achievement
Peacemaker. We-oriented person interested in cooperating with others
Logical. Rational person interested in efficiency
Creative. Spontaneous person interested in new possibilities

I have applied Carole Austen’s four-behavior model in my consulting and in my university teaching, and find it simple and effective in finding common ground with others. It points leaders to what works and what does not work when it comes to relating to people.

Some leaders get more out of their people than others. You have probably seen teams that are more productive than others, and training sessions that are more clearly understood than others. Effective leaders understand their personal behavior styles and understand their employees’ styles, so they work in harmony for greater productivity.

In management we are bombarded with air-brushed advice in trade magazines, airport bookshop best sellers, and one-day seminars. How often have you read inconsistent information totally inapplicable? Some of it is valuable, and some of it is too general and inconsistent.

“Heads-Up Leadership” is not just another business fad. The concept of using personality styles to get along better with others has been around for thousands of years. This four-behaviors model applies particularly well to organizations, and it is simple to use. Awareness of four behavior styles empowers people by reminding them of individual differences that need to be recognized when striving to work effectively with others.

This is the first in a series of articles that describes how to apply the knowledge of these behavior styles in practical ways that support effective leadership and successful organizations. Every week an article will be posted illustrating how the use of this four-behaviors model strengthens organizational collaboration and productivity. Readers are encouraged to share their experiences in the "Visitor comments" section after each article.

The next two articles describe behavior styles and provide a self-assessment where you can discover your dominant behavior styles. Subsequent articles illustrate how your understanding and use of these behavior styles can strengthen your leadership in areas such as, leading teams, making decisions, communicating, and training.