Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. Years ago I was introduced to the Enneagram, a personality-based tool, that helped me see that anyone can be an effective leader as long as the leader is committed to practicing the skills of self observation and self awareness and works on consciously managing how s/he impacts others. This tool helps to reveal a leader’s strengths, challenges and, most importantly, blind spots, and offers a prescriptive path for becoming a successful, effective leader.
I’ve worked very hard on this over the years … I’m naturally aversive to conflict and a consensus leader which has its pros and cons. When I learned more about myself and my impact on my team members, I have had to work to 1) reframe my definition of conflict to clarifying and understanding other’s points of view; 2) seek input but know when to stop trying to get consensus and make a decision in a timely manner; and 3) take a stance even when I know others may not agree but is in the best interest of the client or organization.
That’s just my story but here’s a story from a CEO who’s leadership team uses the Enneagram and the results they have achieved as a result of that.
