Are you motivated by enthusiasm and praise?
Or are you motivated by the threat of negative consequences?
In other words… carrot, or stick?
(Me, I’m a carrot person.)
People respond in very individual ways to different forms of leadership.
When you understand how the members of your team communicate, you’ll more clearly see the best way to lead and motivate them.
Here’s a quick guide on how to lead every personality on your team, with confidence...
If you’re talking to…
INNOVATION: Channel their creativity into projects or products that are not meeting standards. Give them the room to try and fail (it’ll be worth it when they’ve doubled your revenue with an out-of-the-box idea).
PASSION: Express interest in their ideas and enthusiasm for their hard work. If they aren’t meeting your expectations, explain why without appearing overbearing. Ensure them that you appreciate their dedication and that you’ll work with them to grow.
POWER: Work together to establish boundaries of authority, ensure these personalities that you are confident in them and in what they are producing. Give direct feedback when goals aren’t being met. Talk to them as equals to earn respect.
PRESTIGE: Set high goals and reward them when those goals are met. These personalities generally love a healthy dose of competition. Give them something to strive toward and they’ll surpass your expectations.
TRUST: These personalities generally dislike change for the sake of change. They work best when tasked with a regular schedule and game plan. To get the most out of these individuals, provide as much forewarning as possible when shifting projects in a different direction. Give a thorough explanation for why you’re pivoting to get them onboard.
MYSTIQUE: Carefully explain what you expect from them and ask directly if they have any input. Don’t assume they’ll just give it if they do. These personalities need to feel safe when providing feedback and are generally more comfortable having time to process their thoughts before responding.
ALERT: Provide as much detail as possible when asking them to complete projects. The clearer your explanation is, the quicker and more accurate their results will be. Alert personalities dislike ambiguity. Provide them an outline and they’ll crank out results.
Wow how insightful ! I love your advice Sally ! I'm telling everybody I know in sales and who have to deal with people how Outstanding all of your books are as well as your audio books too ! When is Different is Better than Better coming out ?
I'm a Sally Hogshead champion for you !
John Volpe
Thanks so much for your support, John!!!
Hi Sally, I recently went blind from repeatedly stabbing myself in the eyes with a sharpie! I deal with a lot of Prestise and Power types. They are next to impossible to deal with. As a Trust type, I absolutely love your insights and real-world advice. Keep up the great work (ie: using the carrot)!
Yikes on that Sharpie, Dave! But thanks loads for your ongoing support!
What I meant to say is “an entrepreneur.” The email signup obscured my entry field!
Oops! Cell typo. What I meant to say is“Typical of “an entrepreneur.”
Ahhh, technology!
Oops! Cell typo. “Typical of “an” entrepreneur?
Would Avant-Guard be typical of an Entrepreneur?
Hi Cynthia! We updated your comment to correct the error--hope that's OK. Yes, an Avant Garde, as an Innovation personality could certainly be an entrepreneur. But in fact, we have worked with entrepreneurs whose Archetypes fall in all corners of the Matrix! Are you an Avant Garde? We have a couple on our team--they are full of great ideas and hold us all to a high standard of quality.
very good, very realistic view
Really it is very nice article
I love this! Thank you for more insight; as soon as I read it I realized I need to make a few changes myself (and about myself...) I hope this keeps changing others' tactics, strategies, and lives as as well!