There have been millions of pages written about what makes someone a leader and what makes a leader effective. Leading thinkers from Seth Godin to Barrack Obama have talked about the importance of “just getting stuff done”, while others such as Peter Drucker have stressed the importance of doing things but also doing things right. Simply getting stuff done isn’t that simple – the vast majority of leaders rely on other people to get stuff done, and they have a moral, legal, and commercial obligation to look after these people. Of all the challenges a leader faces, one of the toughest to get right is the ability to drive results without burning people out.
People follow leaders because they’re different and highly effective in some way. At the core of what makes a leader different and effective is how they process stress, fear, and other psychosocial risk factors. If we think of commercial consequences on a scale of 1-10 with ‘10’ being ‘catastrophic consequences’ such as needing to lay off thousands of people, having millions of customers’ personal information hacked, or a career-destroying article in the national press, then most normal people would draw the line well below a ‘5’ – they wouldn’t even consider putting themselves in situations where any of these outcomes were possible. However, leaders in highly competitive spaces put themselves in these situations every day. They can do this because they have a unique ability to process fear and step into situations that dial the risk up to 7, 8, or 9 – and effective leaders know where to draw the line and not cross the line, stopping short of overly risky behaviours and catastrophic consequences.
A leader’s innate personality allows them to not only function in fear-inducing situations but also to act as a buffer for their teams, reducing the impact of psychosocial risks such as anxiety, stimulation, and ambiguity while improving the overall performance of the team. However, some elements of personality, applied in the wrong way in the wrong situation, can make them ineffective or even toxic – the precursor to catastrophic consequences. The more insight a leader has into their innate personality, the more they can play to their strengths and leverage their assets, and the less likely they are to be tripped up and sabotaged by their Achilles Heels.
Utilizing decades of research into the psychology of leadership and analysis of hundreds of leadership personalities, TGS Leadership has identified five core leadership traits that make leaders different and effective. These are not artificial constructs or ‘identities’ highlighted in traditional leadership assessments; instead, they are grounded in proven science and the psychology of personalities that process fear differently and are better at getting stuff done. These five proven leadership personalities are:
The Influencer – the Influencer personality deals with fear by amplifying the emotional or rational elements of the fear. The psychology underpinning the Influencer leader is linked to Borderline personalities, which originated in the 1930s to describe the variability of emotions. Influencer personality traits are anchored in two things: their focus on influence, ranging from the use of emotional to rational arguments, and variability, ranging from mercurial to consistent. Leaders with high Influencer attributes are the ‘Infatuated Influencers’ who have an unpredictable style and an ability to make people fall in love with concepts and their creations. Whereas leaders with low Influencer attributes are the ‘Steady Statisticians’ who have a reliably predictable style and the ability to apply compelling rational arguments to influence and persuade others.
The Strategist – the Strategist personality deals with fear by planning and managing information. The psychology underpinning the Strategist leader is linked to Machiavellian personalities, which has its origins in the writer Machiavelli’s philosophical proposition that ‘the end justifies the means’. Strategist personality traits are anchored in two things: strategic planning, ranging from short to long-term horizons, and information sharing, ranging from full disclosure to absolute deception. Leaders with high Strategist attributes are the ‘Cunning Chess Masters’ who will do anything to achieve their objectives and only reveal information that aides their outcomes. Whereas leaders with low Strategist attributes are the ‘Transparent Tacticians’ who thrive in situations where time and resources are limited and transparency with all stakeholders is critical.
The Promoter – the Promoter personality deals with fear by focusing on how it impacts their perception of themselves or other people. Promoter personality traits are anchored in two things: ego focus, ranging from recognition of self to recognition of others, and action drivers, ranging from perception to facts. The psychology underpinning the Promoter leader is linked to Narcissism, which originates from the Greek myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection, and is grounded in the concept of individuality, uniqueness, and differences between people. Leaders with high Promoter attributes are the ‘Righteous Rockstars’ who thrive in the spotlight and are driven by people’s perceptions of them. Whereas leaders with low Promoter attributes are the ‘Selfless Supporters’ who turn the spotlight on others and whose decisions are driven by facts.
The Driver – the Driver personality deals with fear by making it an exciting opportunity to drive results or protect people. The psychology underpinning the Driver leader is linked to Psychopathy, which has its origins in the ability to turn fear into excitement. Driver personality traits are anchored in two things: attachment to people, ranging from detached to deep connections, and risk tolerance, ranging from careless to conscientious. Leaders with high Driver attributes are the ‘Ruthless Risktakers’ who are comfortable with risk and can sacrifice people to achieve results. Whereas leaders with low Drivers attributes are the ‘Connected Caregivers’ who thrive in situations where care for people is critical.
The Disruptor – the Disruptor personality deals with fear by focusing on the change and disruption it creates. The psychology underpinning the Disruptor leader is linked to Sociopathy, described by psychologist George Partridge as a failure to adhere to societal norms. Disruptor personality traits are anchored in two things: the amount of change, ranging from complete transformations to minor improvements, and the pace of change, ranging from chaotic to methodical. Leaders with high Disruptor attributes are the ‘Defiant Disruptors’ who work to the maxim of “If it isn’t broken, break it!”. Whereas leaders with low Disruptor attributes are the ‘Iterative Improvers’ who thrive in situations where they can make modest and measured improvements to the status quo.
Psychology tells us that personality is not something where more is always better. Each of these personalities has a bell-curve distribution across the population. When you apply effect-size logic (similar but not the same as bell-curves), 50% of people are in the middle band and are ‘average’ in terms of their level of the personality trait. 1% of the population is at the extremely high end, and 1% is at the extremely low end. These people are likely to be ‘dysfunctionally different’ and too extreme to be relatable as leaders. Finally, there are people who sit in the ‘Goldilocks Zones’, which makes them ’different, but not too different’ with noticeable traits that ensure they stand out from the people they lead. These high and low Goldilocks Zones in the five personality traits form the 10 ‘Performance Personalities’ that enable leaders to deal with fear and demonstrate high performance in situations others find stressful.
Leaders with higher or lower levels of Influencer, Strategist, Promoter, Driver, and Disruptor personality traits all have the innate ability to “get stuff done”. They perform in fearful situations because they can feel the fear while effectively managing their energy, actions, and interactions with others. These ten ‘Performance Personalities’ process fear, drive outcomes, manage relationships, and motivate others in different ways, which means they function best when they operate in leadership situations and contexts that suit their unique personalities. Finally, leaders don’t have to be great at everything – being ‘dynamically different’ in just one personality trait can powerfully shape a person’s leadership brand.
So how do you know if your leaders have the performance personality to drive results without burning people out? As business becomes more complex and challenging, organizations can no longer rely on assessments that measure a leader’s ‘identity’ - their self-perception and the view others have of them. If business is getting tougher, then measurements, data, and insights related to a leader’s innate preferences and capabilities must get better. The Greyscale is the only commercial leadership test that uses science and psychology to measure the innate personality of the leader. To test your leaders and learn more, check out The Greyscale Assessment at http://tgsleadership.com
