For some personalities, one of the most difficult and important aspects of being a great leader is being able to create genuine connections with all personality types. I can sometimes have trouble with this myself, and it is not something that you can learn overnight. It takes a conscious and continuous decision.
I made the realization that I am not always easy to connect with when I was told that I could come off as brash and too straightforward. These personality traits work extremely well when deadlines must be met and the team needs to know the direction decisively and quickly. These personality traits do not work when the goal is to build a team that shares values and direction for the long term.
I made the conscious and continuous decision to connect with all personality types. I took steps towards this goal and started by observing the personalities of those around me and realized that not everyone wants the same thing from me. In my position, people bring me a lot of problems, and the way I react to the problems needs to be different for each person. In the past, the reactions would always be the same… find an efficient and effective solution. Now, depending on the person, I react differently. For some people, I will simply listen, for others, I will discuss the problem in length, for others, I will brainstorm solutions and for others, I will help them find the best solution. Notice that even when I am looking for a solution, it is no longer one sided and all vested parties are involved.
Connecting with various personality types has been greatly beneficial for me as a leader and for me as a friend. I encourage each of you, whether you are good at connecting with people or not, to make the continuous decision to connect with all personalities, even those you would not normally connect with. I believe you will see immediate improvement in your life.
Servant Leadership 