Leading People Who are Different

How do you lead a team with vastly different personalities? I once received this question after a speaking engagement. I’m not sure what the person thought I might say, but I told him congratulations! Teams perform at their highest level when they are comprised of people who are different. Teams…

five hands in a row laid out on a table, all different skin tones

How do you lead a team with vastly different personalities?

I once received this question after a speaking engagement. I’m not sure what the person thought I might say, but I told him congratulations! Teams perform at their highest level when they are comprised of people who are different. Teams who lack diversity are severely handicapped.

Diversity in a team setting comes in many forms, such as: race, age, gender, ethnicity, education, passions, talents, skills, experiences. And yes, even personality differences add to the richness and power of a team.

To address this question specifically, I have three suggestions regarding different personalities:

Acknowledge the tension – For some reason, to name something makes it more approachable. If you’re introverted and people on your team don’t seem to understand that, talk about it! If you’re frustrated because some members of your team always want to talk about the details and all you want to discuss is the big picture, talk about it. Don’t pretend people are the same and don’t sweep issues under the rug.

Learn about people’s differences – Do you really understand different personality types? Do you have a deep, working knowledge of the differences represented on your team? A thorough review of each member’s personality profile could be an outstanding team building activity. If you’ve been confused or frustrated by the actions of others in the past, this activity may answer a lot of questions.

Leverage the differences – Just like a good sports team assigns positions based on specific skills, you can increase your effectiveness if you get the right people doing the right work. Extroverts, introverts, people who are more concrete and those who are more abstract in their thinking, those who are more detail-oriented and those who are not – there’s a place for everyone. As leaders, one of our roles is to help people find the right place to contribute. If we’re successful, the individual and the team both win.

All of this may sound like a lot of work, and it is. Building a high performance team is hard. But the right team composition can accelerate the journey. Diversity, including personality, is a gift. The ultimate strength of your team hangs in the balance. If you have a team of diverse individuals, be thankful; if you don’t, you need to start recruiting.

 

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Mark Miller

Mark Miller
Mark Miller is a Wall Street Journal and international best-selling author, communicator, and the former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A. Mark’s leadership journey at Chick-fil-A spanned 45 years, and today, he serves as the Co-Founder of Lead Every Day. Mark began writing almost twenty years ago, and with over one million books in print in more than twenty-five languages, his global impact continues to grow.

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