by Linda Gilden and Linda Goldfarb in Leading Hearts magazine
With just a little adjustment and reassessment of your skills, you can excel as a leader and as a follower.
“AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS IS … HEATHER GREEN!” Heather felt her stomach tighten and palms sweat. She never thought they would pick her for the chairman. She thought, I much prefer following someone else’s lead.
Circumstances or choices often dictate whether we lead or follow. Most of us have daily opportunities to do both.
What we do and the way we do it is determined primarily by our personality.
Your personality is one of four categories: Mobilizer — the get-it-done person, Socializer — the life-of-the-party person, Stabilizer — the keep-it-peaceful person, and Organizer — the everything-in order person
When it comes to leadership, how do you use your personality strengths to be the best leader and follower you can be?
MOBILIZER
The in-charge Mobilizer makes a very strong leader. He or she confidently embraces leadership roles and quickly creates a workable plan. The Mobilizer thrives on accomplishing tasks and loves to finish in as little time as possible. The Mobilizer leader creates a checklist as he assigns duties to the team. A word of caution to the Mobilizer leader here — your team will be composed of all personalities. Not all team members are as driven as you. Give each a task that works with their strengths, and your leadership will be complimented.
Being a Mobilizer follower is not the easiest assignment for you. Accept this as a challenge. Be the best follower you can and work your assignment with as much energy, planning and productivity as if you were the leader.
However, you appreciate someone calling on you to lead. Once put in a leadership position, Organizer leaders formulate a plan.
With your attention to detail, you present the project to teammates in an easily followed manner. You love charts and lists. Every team member knows exactly what they need to do and what needs to be accomplished. A word of caution to Organizer leaders — you have perfectionist tendencies. Give your team members freedom to be creative.
Organizer followers are super team members. Leaders know their Organizer followers will get jobs done well and on time. You enjoy building relationships with others. Because of your reserved social presence, being part of a team allows you to stretch your social skills.
Do you feel more comfortable being the leader or a follower? You can be both. With just a little adjustment and reassessment of your skills, you can excel as a leader and as a follower.
The next time someone asks, “Are you a better leader or a follower?” you can reply, “As a matter of fact, I can be either.”
SOCIALIZER
People love working with the Socializer leader because you make it fun. You love the spotlight attention. Knowing the personality strengths of your team will give you support and keep you on track. Make lists and create small rewards for each phase accomplished. Caution to the Socializer leader — your team is your greatest asset. Use their strengths to accomplish a successful team effort.
The Socializer follower continues as a fun team member. The Socializer likes the team approach and enjoys working with others. As a Socializer follower, take lots of notes. Knowing what is expected and how it fits in the plan will help you reach the goal.
STABILIZER
People may think that leader is not the best assignment for a laid-back Stabilizer. However, that is not so. Stabilizers make great leaders. They love research and include everyone on the team. You may have to make great effort to keep progress moving toward your goal, but you want to reach deadlines on time.
You work best under pressure. Pace yourself so as not to impose your preferences on the team. A word of advice to Stabilizer leaders — identify team members who love different aspects of working and utilize their personality skills to create a strong team and successful outcome.
Stabilizers thrive in the follower position. You love the team effort and enjoy people. You are attentive to the leader. Leaders know they can count on deep-thinking Stabilizer team members to do their parts well.
ORGANIZER
Organizers make excellent leaders. Because you are introverted, you don’t always volunteer for leadership.
However, you appreciate someone calling on you to lead. Once put in a leadership position, Organizer leaders formulate a plan.
With your attention to detail, you present the project to teammates in an easily followed manner. You love charts and lists. Every team member knows exactly what they need to do and what needs to be accomplished. A word of caution to Organizer leaders — you have perfectionist tendencies. Give your team members the freedom to be creative.
Organizer followers are super team members. Leaders know their Organizer followers will get jobs done well and on time. You enjoy building relationships with others. Because of your reserved social presence, being part of a team allows you to stretch your social skills.
Do you feel more comfortable being the leader or a follower? You can be both. With just a little adjustment and reassessment of your skills, you can excel as a leader and as a follower.
The next time someone asks, “Are you a better leader or a follower?” you can reply, “As a matter of fact, I can be either.”
