2023 May « Enhancing Lives & Transforming Leadership

Managing and leading others is not about you – it’s about the people you’re leading. By understanding our different personalities, strengths and weaknesses, we can all become more effective when working with and interacting with others. Different is just different – and different is ok. How does each team member prefer to communicate and socialize with others? Are they introverted or extroverted? What do they do well and not so well? How do they like to be coached or managed? The key to building strength-based teams will depend on your ability to navigate through those differences.

Worth Remembering – “The task of an executive is not to change human beings. The task is to multiply performance capacity of the whole by putting to use whatever strength, health or aspiration in individuals.” P. F. Drucker

I use a behavioural assessment tool Dr. William Marston developed because it is easy to administer, and you don’t need a degree in behavioural sciences to interpret the results. Marston believed that there are four distinct styles of behaviour. Each has its natural unchangeable personality, and while each has the same factors comprising their personalities, they react differently to the environment around them. When assembling your team, the key is to recruit team members based on their strengths and then put them in positions that utilize them and avoid weaknesses.

Worth Remembering – “Whatever the circumstances of your life, the understanding of type can make your perceptions clearer, your judgements sounder, and your life closer to your heart’s desire.” I. M. Briggs

Caution: A strength overused or used in the wrong situation can become a weakness.

Utilize their strengths.

D – Dominant: They prefer to lead, take risks and are action orientated.

I – Interpersonal: They are great communicators and excel at motivating others.

S – Steadiness: They follow directions and stay within guidelines and procedures.

C – Conscientious: They are exceptional at planning, setting standards and ensuring accuracy

Avoid their weaknesses.

D – Dominant: They can be blunt, demanding and appear unapproachable.

I – Interpersonal: They can be disorganized and lack follow-through.

S – Steadiness: They can be indecisive and resist change for fear of failing.

C – Conscientious: They can be overly concerned with perfection and prefer to work alone.

Your most successful championship and gold medal-winning teams are those teams that filled their roster with role-players. If you use that same concept when building your team – your organization’s competitive advantage will be your strength-based team.

Visit my website and download your “FREE” DISC Assessment and discover your strengths and the strengths of those on your team. https://briansmithpld.com/free-download/

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a training provider for you and your team? To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit https://briansmithpld.com or email him at – brian@briansmithpld.com

If you have trouble attracting and retaining talent – it will be your fault. Management has a big challenge ahead. You are entering a new era of leadership. According to Gallup, the latest generation to enter the workforce – Generation Z – will make up 27% of the available talent pool by 2025. They are like no other generation that has come before them.

Worth Remembering – “Every generation needs a new revolution.” – Thomas Jefferson.

To attract and retain Gen Zeds, managers and leaders must relearn how to connect, communicate, educate and delegate.

Connecting: How much fun are you to be around? People like to work with people and hang around with people they like. They want to work for an organization that makes them feel wanted and treats them as an integral part. Zeds are interested in working in a place that allows for fun, friendships and life-enriching activities. Having fun at work leads to creativity, productivity, better decision-making, and collaborative teams.

Communicating: Smartphones are a natural extension of Zeds. They are the first generation to grow up in the digital age. As many as 98% own a smartphone. They consider social media a valuable workplace tool and prefer to get their information online. Managers and leaders must be tech-savvy and comfortable communicating and interacting virtually.

Educating: Zeds are the most educated generation but lack previous generations’ soft skills. The good news is they are eager to learn how to interact with others, resolve conflict, solve problems and work in a team environment. It would help if you created an environment that is conducive to learning. They are comfortable learning online, zooming or watching a Youtube video.

Delegating: It’s essential to provide opportunities to learn and grow. Zeds lack the experience and self-confidence of previous generations, so you need to teach them how you want them to perform the task. And give them the autonomy once they’ve learned. You rob Zeds of their opportunity to grow if you don’t delegate effectively. You must give up control to get control, or they will go elsewhere.

Worth Remembering – “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl

Are you or your management team ready for the most significant workforce shift in over 100 years? Soft skills – your ability to communicate and interact more effectively regardless of gender or generation are now considered essential. You can learn how to build collaborative teams, resolve conflict, problem solve or motivate others to perform at their best. Ignoring the dynamic forces at play, and refusing to change, will be at your parrel. If you have trouble attracting and retaining talent – it will be your fault.

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization to develop the skills needed to manage and lead others, visit – https://briansmithpld.com or contact him at: brian@briansmithpld.com