People-Smart Leadership for Organisational Success

Cover Page Image RGB.jpg

Following my recent video on perfectionism, the discussion was raised around the challenges of working with a team of ‘perfectionists.’ Yes, it can be tricky working with the opposite personalities, however perfectionists as well as people with other behavioural styles can bring tremendous value to organisations. The keys are to recognise the value of personal diversity, natural strengths as well as weaknesses and utilise it appropriately.

Think about it, the word ‘company’ or ‘organisation’ does not mean some faceless inhuman entity with a kosher appearance in the public eye. It means a group of individuals with different natural strengths, skill sets, development areas AND human drives, that can either help them and the organisation or do the opposite. It is people with their intention and ability to work together, who stand behind any company’s success or failure.  Becoming a people-smart manager and leader can help grow the success of an organisation through its people and as well as become more successful in one’s role.

For new and even some experienced managers and leaders, it can become a challenging task to bring people onboard, create rapport throughout the organisation and lead them. It may not be easy at first, yet it can be very powerful once managers acquire a good understanding of behavioural styles and what drives their team as well as the upper echelon of the organisation.

There are 3 pillars for people-smart leadership:

  1. Know your own strengths and development areas. For example, projects/tasks/activities in the development zone may take a lot of time and energy to complete. Sometimes we may keep putting off the tasks in that area. The important part is how you can utilise your strengths effectively (without overusing those!) and keep developing other areas in a sustainable way. Where and how you spend your energy and use your focus will determine your outcomes as well as your resilience levels long-term.
    If you are time-poor and constantly on-the-go, a professional behavioural analysis report is one of the quickest and most effective ways to get re-acquainted with your natural strengths, development areas and how sustainable you can make changes for yourself long-term. It also covers many other important aspects such as communication styles, decision making, influencing, motivation etc. The purpose of the report is to remind you of your natural strengths and to unlock more of your potential in a sustainable and achievable way.

  2. Invest your time and effort in getting to know the people you are working with. What are their strengths and development areas? What drives and motivates them? Being aware of people’s natural aptitude and development areas is NOT about ‘pigeon-holing’ them but is rather about utilising strengths efficiently and indirectly motivating them to be naturally engaged in their roles. All behavioural styles are important in the workplaces:

    • Change Agents, who make difficult decisions, navigate the storms and initiate the change;

    • Idea Generators, who sell ideas/organisational change/strategy/project internally and bring people onboard;

    • Stabilisers, who create rapport, agreement and bring stability to workflow from start to finish;

    • Perfectionists/Experts, who ensure that all important aspects are cross-checked from planning to implementation.

    Knowing and utilising natural strengths is a good way to initiate productivity on-purpose, rather than productivity with little purpose and output. It will also help you influence the team dynamics when things go out of shape or the important project is stalling. A team behavioural analysis can be very beneficial to predict team dynamics and find new ways to communicate with your team and motivate them.

  3. Listen with curiosity and tailor your communication accordingly. What are you communicating and who is the recipient? Some people need only a big picture of the situation, while others need the fine details. Some people listen to you more, when you are being very direct and firm, while others have a better response, if you show more flexibility, understanding and give them time. Listening to people with less assumptions and more curiosity, will help you understand how they want to receive the communication in return and how to make your message more effective.

The dynamics are shifting in the corporate arena. An open doors policy, transparent communication and inclusive leadership are becoming the stepping stones for long-term organisational success. And there is a good reason for that. The people-smart leadership style taps into people’s needs such as connection, contribution, variety, certainty, growth and significance (Core Needs by T. Robbins). At any organisational level, people want to be visible and to know that they add value and contribute to the workplace. When our core needs are addressed and met, we become naturally more motivated and are willing to do more and contribute more.

To find out more about behavioural analysis for individuals and teams as well as people-smart tailored communication, please email: create@newlifedesign.com.au or call : +61 430 595 160.

© Anya Lyudmilina, Mindset Coach at New Life Design

Anya Lyudmilina