When I was a kid, I loved to dress up, gather my siblings and friends, and put on plays for the local parents. It was my favourite past time. Throughout my early teens I continued to seek out the stage, landing my first breakthrough role as Anne, in Anne of Green Gables in the high school musical. I thrived when I was part of a fun and creative project, whether it was academic or extracurricular. I didn’t enjoy solo pursuits as much as creative, collective efforts. My early experiences reflect the way I still prefer to work – creative collaboration with others. As a coach and leader, my personal motivation is to be a catalyst for growth and positive change.
What’s your personal motivation?
Recently, I asked a group of leaders who attended my webinar, Discover your Leadership Style, to describe their personality as kids in one or two words. Some described “being responsible” or “taking charge” as their earliest memories. Others said they were the ones with the “wild imagination” or “adventurous” personality. After the webinar, one participant wrote to tell me she went through some old journals and discovered a marketing plan she had written to offer babysitting services when she was twelve years old. This window into her younger self was an important reminder of her entrepreneurial personality, and from there, we explored how she might bring it out more regularly as a leader. She’s started to take more risks and is working with her team to be more innovative in how they deliver services, a vital skill to access during the pandemic.
How can personality awareness help you to work and lead effectively?
I went to see my first career coach during law school, feeling unhappy about where I’d landed and unsure what to do next. It was my first exposure to the MBTI personality assessment, and I was hooked. I discovered that more attractive career paths for my personality type focused on helping people grow and learn, and, not surprisingly, some element of creativity. Despite this early warning sign that I may have veered off course in my career path, I completed my law degree and got called to the Bar in Ontario. Within months, I was plotting my escape. The MBTI tool gave me language to describe how I wanted to grow and helped me to set a new direction. Later, when I found myself in a senior leadership role, ironically at a law school, I revisited the MBTI with my team and it gave me new insights into how to work together, and adjust my own behaviour to bring out the best in others.
If you are interested in learning about your personality type and how it impacts work style, teams and leadership, contact us for more information or check out these resources at: https://www.psychometrics.com/knowledge-centre/leadership/
Join my next webinar in April on how to flex your style to Communicate with Confidence. Details below.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
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Until next time, be happy and well.
Lianne