By Vin Bittencourt | MBA Bites S1 Episode 8
Most people start their career as individual contributors, where they achieve success by consistently bringing better results than the average person. Then, as they rise through the rankings and start exercising more influence, their value depends more on the contributions of others. But whether supporting or leading a high performing team, every career professional benefits from understanding basic differences in communication and leadership styles. For potential leaders and followers alike, here are four profiles of the most common types of leaders in organizations: (1) the technician, (2) the diplomat, (3) the strategist, (4) the driver.
The Technician Leader
Technicians are subject matter experts who want to exercise tight control of the universe around them, usually operating by logic and data analysis. As a result, technicians rely on science, factual based knowledge and techniques to solve problems, turning into dedicated professionals who are constantly expanding their knowledge base and expertise via rigorous study, research and training.
Things a technician leader craves: Rules, procedures, guidelines, precision, efficiency, continuous improvement.
Where do you see technician leaders more often: Accountants, Software Engineers, Researchers, Business Analysts, Operations Managers, Data Scientists, Corporate Trainers.
In which ways technician type leaders typically fail?
Technicians tend to over rely on hard data and logic to build consensus.
Technicians resist operating outside procedures and clear-cut guidelines.
In the extreme, technicians tend to be self-righteous and dismissive of people who operate on intuition, ambiguity, and creative ways.
Technicians tend to be better as individual contributors than collaborators. “They don’t do feelings.”
On average, technicians lack the emotional commitment for more political, strategic roles. However, technicians do extremely well on introspective roles and as mid-level managers/supervisors, especially in highly analytical, precision, data driven environments.
If you’re a technician leader, how can you improve your style and at the same type stay true to yourself?
Learn how to operate with ambiguity, when to deviate from processes when needed. Not every solution is grounded on hard logic and data.
Don’t torture yourself, and others, over perfect solutions for every business problem. Acceptable, pragmatic choices also lead to meaningful results.
Recognize people have different styles, not everyone embraces intellect, rational analysis the same way.
Look for better fit within technical, process-oriented environments rather than creative, fast changing ones, but know how to communicate with creatives for when you cross collaborate.
If you’re a follower, how do you build trust with a technician?
Give them data, factual evidence before you try to convince them of anything or ask for any support.
Use rational, linear thinking in your discourse.
Always bring solid numbers and facts to your stories and briefings.
The Diplomat Leader
As the name goals, diplomacy is at the core of the diplomat leader’s approach. The main goal of a diplomat leader is to preserve harmony and traditional structures. Diplomats do the impossible to avoid conflict or shake the status quo.
Things a diplomatic leader craves: Mutually respectful, high class behavior and attitude. Harmony and sensitivity to others. Observance to group norms.
Where do you see diplomats more often: Client facing roles, Front-line Supervisors, Professors, Career Counselors, Government Officials, often in non-profit, academia, consulting industries.
In which ways diplomat type leaders typically fail?
Diplomats avoid having tough conversations, providing blunt feedback and criticism.
Diplomats are too politically correct to call out, reprimand or punish low performers, their friendliness and candor can get in the way of their authority, assertiveness, sometimes.
Diplomats are often slow to make hard, but strategically important decisions that’ll disrupt comradery or the existing group norms.
If you’re a diplomat leader, how can you improve your style and at the same time stay true to yourself?
Look carefully at the costs of harmony. Your ultimate goal as a leader is to be trusted/respected, not exactly liked.
Enforce norms and set expectations clearly.
One of your goals as a leader is to protect your team’s morale by setting high standards. Be tough with free riders, call them out when they fail to meet expectations, or you may lose the entire team on your lack of assertiveness.
If you’re a follower, how do you build trust with a diplomat?
Operate with empathy, politeness, finesse, sophistication. If you need to convince them of something, using rational analysis only works if packed with passion, energy.
Talk to your diplomat leader about ways to strengthen the team’s position. Ask him/her how they feel about your ideas.
Show them that your conscientious of other people’s feelings and how the things you say and do can affect the overall relationship dynamic of the team.
The Driver Leader
Drivers are taskmasters who always operate with an end goal in mind. They’re high energy, self-driven leaders, often ruthless in their pursuit of results and excellence.
Things a driver leader craves: Results, results, results. Drivers hate excuses and missed targets.
Where do you see driver leaders more often: Most corporate leaders from mid to senior level are drivers, as they’re strong, high-ambition, high-energy leaders who are good at goal setting and engagement. Their focus on the end goal allows them to successfully reverse engineer things and follow thru on tactical plans.
In which ways driver type leaders typically fail?
Drivers are great at achieving results, but their commitment to results at all costs causes a lot of friction.
Drivers often possess domineering personalities. In the extreme, they tend to be authoritarian.
The driver’s pragmatic, more aggressive style often clashes with diplomats and technicians, who are slow to make decisions while carefully pondering on options and analyzing evidence.
On average, a driver leader is mostly an executor, action-based type of leader. When unhinged, drivers cause a lot resentment. Moreover, talented, creative, autonomous people often struggle to bring their best under the top down command of a driver leader.
If you’re a driver leader, how can you improve your style and at the same time stay true to yourself?
Step on the brakes sometimes. Realize your energy and drive can push people to their limits, which can affect your end results. A good strategy is to elect a person on the team to be “the good cop”, so you don’t get to be pushy and impatient all the time.
Balance your commitment for results with solid team building. Consistent good quality results are sometimes better than astonishing one offs.
As a side note: if you’re really a visionary driver with relentless commitment to greatness, being an entrepreneur might be a better fit than a career professional for you. Very often, bureaucratic environments that are too restrictive can kill some of your best assets, your competitiveness and your ambition.
If you’re a follower, how do you build trust with a driver?
Show him/her energy and drive every step of the way.
Avoid philosophical discussions during your one-on-ones.
Look for practical ways to contribute and state your targets very clearly. A driver is less interested on how you’re feeling, and more interested on what you can do to move the needle.
The Strategist Leader
Like the driver, the strategist leader also marches with the end goal in sight. But the strategist, in general, is not only better at connecting individual and organizational needs when pursuing the vision, he/she's more socially conscious too. In consequence, a strategist is more tactful than the driver in building emotional engagement, as he/she understands organizational transformations cannot be separated from personal transformations, that results can’t come at the expense of people.
Instead of moving fast and breaking things like the driver leader often does, the strategist overcomes resistances to change with compelling storytelling, he/she frames the work under a higher purpose, often with a big social goal attached.
In summary, the strategist combines the best elements of the technician, the diplomat and the driver leaders. From the appreciation to precision and quality, to the people skills and energy to spearhead transformations. For that reason, strategist leaders excel not only at team building and results, but in delivering definitive, high impact transformations.
Things a strategic leader craves: Projects, products, creations, transformations that make society better.
Where do you see strategist leaders more often: At the higher rungs of most organizations where they set mission, vision and policy. Strategists are the architects of storytelling.
In which ways strategists type leaders typically fail?
They don’t, at least not from a behavioral standpoint. At an org level, the only way a strategist fails is if the work in question is not aligned with their beliefs or higher purpose. Obviously, great leaders, including strategists, often fail for a myriad of reasons beyond their control, which is not what we’re inferring here.
If you’re a strategist leader, how can you improve your style and still stay true to yourself?
Finding fit for all leader types is important, but for the strategist is everything. If you’re an strategist, you must connect with a higher purpose, by doing work that truly connects with your talents, skills and passions.
If you’re a follower, how do you build trust with a strategist?
Show your strategist leader that you believe in the vision.
Be a partner on the effort and relentless in overcoming barriers, in fighting resistance to change.
Final Thoughts
For leaders: If you’re already a leader of people, it’s your responsibility to adapt your communication and delivery to followers. It’s important to assess your behaviors to see what kind of image you’re projecting as a leader. If the results you’re getting are short of projections, there’s a chance you’re over relying on a style that’s disengaging your team. More versatility to your style may come handy in this case.
For followers: If your efforts are not leading to the career acceleration you envisioned, chances are you need to foster stronger relationships at work. Assessing your leaders’ style should be the first step towards adopting a more nuanced, compatible communication style to bond with him/her.
Comments