Leadership can be challenging because of the different personalities, groups, and cultures within a team. Adapting your leadership style to each person is essential for success. In my recent conversation with Neale Hill, President of Ford Motor Company Africa, describes leadership as a ‘Dark Art’.
Leadership as a ‘Dark Art’
In Neale’s eyes, leadership can be viewed as a ‘Dark Art’ because of the difficulty of dealing with different personalities, groups, and cultures within a team and still achieving success. Adapting one’s leadership style to suit each person is essential for success. One needs to accept the person as a whole and not just the ‘person’ an employee brings to work.
A leader requires the skill of servant leadership
As a leader, it is crucial to possess servant leadership skills. This particular style allows a leader to adapt to each individual, rather than forcing employees to adapt to their style. By understanding each person’s motivations, triggers, strengths, and weaknesses, a leader can bring out the best in their team members.
It’s about accepting individuals for who they are and working with them to achieve success. A leader can create a positive and inclusive work environment where team members feel valued and empowered to contribute to the organization’s success.
Leadership Chameleons are adaptable
Leadership chameleons are about understanding the person they are interacting with and adapting one’s leadership style to their characteristics. It’s important to adapt to different personalities in one-on-one or group settings to become an effective leader.
Principles to Never Compromise On
It’s important to never compromise on certain principles like punctuality, honesty, transparency, and respect. Disrespecting someone is never acceptable, and it’s important to collaborate and solve issues together.
Understand the Whole Person
To be an effective leader, it’s important to understand the person who comes to work, including their personal life. You want the whole human to show up, not just a machine to perform a function.
Successful leadership requires the ability to adapt one’s leadership style to different personalities while maintaining fundamental principles. To maximise each team member’s potential, it’s crucial to comprehend their entire persona.
