PeopleSmart in Business eBook - The Platinum Rule

128
Six: Leadership Styles
Th e diff erence is that Cautious Th inkers are concerned with achieving
their own desired standards in a way that does not cause further problems
by rubbing other people the wrong way.
The Dominant Director Leaders
Move over and let them do their thing
Th ey’re like wild horses that don’t like to run in rigid formation.
But why hobble them if they’re able to get blue ribbons in their own
way? Or even start and develop their own herd? If you confi ne them,
Dominant Directors may become harsh and stubborn; let them do
their own thing and they may very well impress you. Agree on the
goal and specify the boundaries of the playing fi eld. Th en get out of
their way. Th is requires other people to ignore some of the Dominant
Director’s natural competitive spirit and, instead, focus this energy on
a common goal for bettering the organization. Dominant Directors
seek this sort of encouragement and feedback to function most eff ectively
within the general framework of shared expectations. But don’t
expect them to follow every procedure to the letter.
How to develop Dominant Directors
When coaching a Dominant Director, he likes to learn the basic
steps to quickly sift out what he wants. “I don’t really plan to read this
200 page computer manual just to learn how to set up pages in three
columns. Just teach me what I have to know so I can do that.” In the
interest of saving time, D’s may try to fi nd shortcuts, so show them the
simplest, fastest route to get them to their stated destination.
Th e thought of reassuring someone or explaining something more
than once smacks of frittering away precious moments that he’d rather
spend on action and results. So he doesn’t bother with details. Focus
on the high points, please, like what is to be done by when. He wants