Personality Type The Foundation Of Leadership And Management

Personality Type: The Foundation of Leadership and Management

by Kenneth L. Meyer
Lead People and Manage Things
The above heading is actually the title of a book written by my father on the art of leading people. Dad was a General Manager and sales trainer for the New York Life Insurance Co. Dad was one of their national leaders with a wonderfully profitable career.
I remember him quoting the above along the lines of no Kenny you cant really manage anybody, you lead them! So when he published a book of the same title I was not surprised and actually used it as a text for a class on Industrial Sales I used to teach at Eastern Michigan University in the 90s.
The line between leading people vs. managing them makes more sense and is clearer with the reference to things thrown in. You cant lead an inanimate object but you can manage them nicely; by the same token, you really cant manage a living breathing person but you can lead them by appealing to their humanity in ways they will naturally and many time instinctively respond to. We use all kinds of techniques to lead some techniques with a basis in fear and some with a basis in the more positive aspects of desire and sincerely wanting to get something done.
Personality Type
What we call personality type controls how individuals will respond to leading or managing. Each of us has a psychological function that controls, filters, informs and really directs how we take in information and then respond to that information.
There are many other aspects to how personality affects leadership and management but for this article let us view the above functions.how do we take in information and how do we reason and act upon what we take in. By looking at leadership related to personality in this way we will discover that one function that controls how we literally speak to everyone! That is important because if you are talking to me and I do not understand what you are saying how can I respond in a way that indicates you were leading or managing me, for that matter, to a profitable result?? Well I cant and neither can you.at least not without needless mistakes, stress, problems, misfortunes, hard feelings and missed opportunities galore!!
What Are We Taught?
We are taught what managers do, how they are to do it, the why of it and the when of it and the where of it. Fine as far as it goes; but, this does not impact leadership that much.
Each individuals personality type will not respond to any of the above in a positive, profitable way, unless their instinctive nature, their personality type is being spoken to.
Managers/leaders will behave in certain ways, talk and communicate with others, build teams, create plans, administer company visions in certain ways that transcend how they were taught to do the above.
By understanding your in-born nature and the differences that may exist between you and the ones you are trying to lead/manage you can use those differences to positively motivate. How is this done?
Speak to others the way they want to be spoken to for one way. Another way would be to put workers, whenever possible, in work environments more representative of their core personality functions. Referencing the Myers-Briggs Personality approach, one would put the sensor in the sensing work environment, the intuitive in the intuitive environment, and the thinker in the thinking environment and the feeler in the feeling environment.
The end result of todays efforts at leading/managing others is that 70% of all workers are working in areas of weakness on the job. So something is not working, what we as leaders/managers were taught in school are not working as well as it could. I believe we need to become readers of those we work with and for; identifying personality similarities and differences and then valuing, nurturing, validating what we find instead of forcing those managed/let to conform to our way of doing things.
This knowledge is not difficult, there is hope, and there is encouragement. Rely upon and institute the Myers-Briggs routinely within your organization. Study the differences that exist, try to match work related tasks, natural problem solving tendencies, natural conflict management skills to the various personality types represented and you will find leadership gets more productive; the entire work environment can become much more positive; and low and behold workers actually will desire to be on the job because they like it rather than working because they have to.

Five Critical Steps to Be Customer Focused

In todays highly technical and fast paced world one piece of advice is very true listen to the customer. Unfortunately, selling complex technical products or solutions (or anything else), causes most salespeople to focus on product features rather that on their benefits to the customer.

This product focused approach to sales is from the old school. It focused on specific features and benefits that would be of interest to a prospective customer. Salespeople would immediately commit to memory as many of these product features as possible.

After a dissertation on the associated benefits that went along with these product features, the prospect is suppose to sign on the dotted line because the salesperson certainly must have found a “hot-button” during this product review.

But something bizarre happens. The prospect is often overwhelmed by all the facts and technical data that has been dumped on him. When you sell only on product features, you leave yourself open to price shopping by your prospect.

The smarter method of selling that is much more effective is called customer focused selling. Simply stated customer focused selling is first finding out what the customer wants and then providing the solution for his or her situation. Sound simple, yet it is surprising how few salespeople practice this method. Perhaps its because they spend so much time learning about the hardware and software features they sell, that they would burst open if they couldnt tell their prospect all they know. Another reason is that salespeople sometimes (too often) would rather talk than listen to their prospect. Here are the five critical steps to be customer focused:
Customer focused selling means the customer does most of the talking. How does the customer do most of the talking? The salesperson must probe and ask open ended questions to determine the customers business needs and personal wins. Open-ended questions ask the listener for more specific information. Open ended questions begin with words like what, when, how, where, why, and when. They ask for peoples opinions, facts and feelings. They open the conversational door. Examples: “What results are looking for in a new supplier?” ” What makes that business issue so important to you?”
To get the prospect to be more receptive to your probes and questions, try to cushion it with a softening preamble. Try, “May I ask you a question? ” or, “In your opinion, what factors do you consider most important in selecting a new supplier?” Be creative and ask a few thought-provoking questions that will provide you with information about this person as well as facts about their company. Differentiate yourself from other salespeople by asking what important challenges the prospect is facing this year and how they differentiate their company from the competition.
Probe to understand the business issues that are most important to them. For example, a General Manager might say Improving Productivity is a top priority. Probe to see what makes that issue so important, exactly what “improving productivity” means to him or her. Once you understand the important issues facing your prospect, ask open-ended questions to uncover problems with their present system or approach and identify the benefits they need because these will become opportunities for you.
Then probe to find their personal win. The owner of the store on the corner dreams about the day her business will expand from 1 shop to 2. Then from 2 shops to 3, to 5, and more. Think about your dreams; where you are today and where you want to be next year? Your customers also have dreams about their businesses and their careers. Who knows? They know, and uncovering their dreams is a critical step in the customer-focused sales approach. If you can find their dream, you can identify their personal win. When you do, you can then bring together a “customer focused solution” that addresses their business issues. More importantly, your solution will help them fulfill their dreams.
Finally, it is vitally important to listen actively, take notes, provide feedback when your prospect is responding to your questions. All too often, salespeople will ask a good question, and then not listen to the answer. This hardly builds credibility and trust with the prospect. Salespeople can significantly improve their listening and establish credibility and trust faster by providing feedback that creates an agreeable atmosphere with their prospects. Asking material questions and then listening actively to your prospect is one of the best ways to avoid these problems and differentiate yourself from the “not-so-great” salespeople. Increasing your ability to probe and ask questions and then listening to the prospects answers provides you with the information you need to identify needs, goals and priorities. Armed with this information, you can create a “Customer Focused” solution that addresses your prospects issues. Good luck and good selling!!!

Business Management Degrees Build Versatile Career Choices

Earning a Bachelors degree in Business Management can open the door to a wide variety of career placement and career advancement opportunities. In todays increasingly competitive economy it is especially important to hold a versatile degree that is applicable within a variety of sectors, and a Business Management degree can help do just that.

Most every business requires strong leaders who can oversee projects, lead other employees, and make strong business decisions; consequently, these positions may often be filled by individuals who hold a Business Management degree.
What a Business Management Degree Can Do for You

Part of the reason individuals with a Business Management degree are so marketable is because of the valuable skills they acquire while in school. Business Management classes guide them through the fundamental areas of business, including finance, accounting, management, information systems, production, marketing and human resources. However, in addition to these essential building blocks, Business Management students also have the opportunity to learn:

* Effective decision-making and critical-thinking skills
* Strategic and tactical goal setting
* Strong communication and leadership skills
* Motivation, team building and leadership skills
* How to forecast trends in particular industries
* How to work efficaciously with a wide variety of people
* And much more

Each of these skills is necessary for individuals holding management positions within a business, and acquiring them may increase your chances of landing a job.

Possessing a Business Management degree can be helpful for finding your first job, but it is also extremely beneficial as you work to advance the career you already have. No matter what industry you are working in, the skills obtained through a Business Management degree can help to place you ahead of the competition. Because it can be applied in almost any industry, it is one of the most versatile degrees you can acquire.

So what kinds of jobs can you get with a Business Management degree? With this versatile degree you can enter nearly any industry and pursue a position as:

* Assistant Manager
* Supervisor
* Office Manager, Project Manager,
* General Manager, Regional Manager
* Director, Director of Operations
* Executive Assistant
* Financial Analyst
* Recruiter
* Executive Assistant
* And much more

Keep in mind, most of these positions exist within each facet of a particular business, from the human resources department to the sales, accounting and marketing teams. That means there may be multiple opportunities for placement and advancement within specific businesses and industries. Furthermore, the skills used in each of these positions are easily transferable between various industries, leaving you with opportunities for advancement. Keep in mind that some positions require additional experience for consideration.

Make the smart choice when it comes to starting a new career or advancing in the one you already have. Pursue a Business Management degree and start experiencing the possibilities today!