subject: What Type of Manager are You? [print this page] What Type of Manager are You? What Type of Manager are You?
Your management or leadership style is directly affected by who you are and your personality. By becoming more aware of your personality and how it impacts on others you can develop your leadership capability and demonstrate a clear commitment to your own professional and personal development.
Using the Enneagram personality tool, with its nine different types (and wings and arrows), as a method of raising your awareness of who you are, consider the following descriptions to see what type of leader you may be:
1 The Perfectionist someone who is motivated by the need to live their life the right way, including improving themselves and the world around them. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to set clear goals and inspire their staff to achieve high quality work.
2 The Helper someone who is motivated by the need to be connected and valued and to express their positive feelings to others. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their team and to motivate staff to achieve organisational goals.
3 The Achiever someone who is motivated by the need to be productive, achieve success and avoid failure. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to create an environment where results are achieved because staff understand the organisation's goals and structure.
4 The Romantic someone who is motivated by the need to experience their feelings and to be understood and to avoid being ordinary. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to create a work environment that gives people meaning and purpose so that they are inspired to do excellent work.
5 The Observer someone who is motivated by the need to know and understand everything, to be self-sufficient and to avoid looking foolish. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to develop an effective organisation through research, reflection and planning so that staff are working towards a common goal.
6 The Questioner someone who is motivated by the need for security. They can be outwardly fearful or they can confront their fear. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to solve problems by developing a creative problem-solving environment in which all staff feel they are part of the solution.
7 The Adventurer someone who is motivated by the need to be happy and plan enjoyable activities, to contribute to the world and to avoid suffering and pain. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to get people excited and to create new ventures for the organisation to take advantage of upcoming business opportunities.
8 The Asserter someone who is motivated by the need to be self-reliant and strong and to avoid feeling weak or dependent. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to move the organisation forward by leading decisively, getting capable people in the right jobs and empowering competent staff to take action.
9 The Peacemaker someone who is motivated by the need to keep the peace, to merge with others and to avoid conflict. This type of leader believes it is a manager's job to help achieve the collective mission by creating a clearly structured and harmonious work environment.
Which personality type do you think you might be?
How do you think your underlying management belief affects your leadership style and how other staff relate to you?
Once you are aware of different personality types, you can see that your own style will not be equally effective with all types of people. A management style in which you act from an awareness of the viewpoints and needs of others will lead to greater satisfaction, harmony and productivity for all staff, including yourself.
