Assessing Personal Styles: Enhancing Leadership Through Self-Awareness
Great leaders understand both themselves and those they lead. Assessing personal styles involves recognizing how individual preferences, communication methods, and decision-making tendencies shape interactions, influence leadership, and impact teamwork. By developing self-awareness, leaders can adapt their approach, foster better collaboration, and resolve conflicts more effectively.
Core Principles of Personal Style Assessment:
- Know Your Leadership Style – Are you directive, collaborative, data-driven, or intuitive?
- Recognize Communication Preferences – Do you prefer concise instructions, storytelling, or data-heavy discussions?
- Adapt to Others’ Styles – Tailor your approach to match different personalities for more effective influence.
- Balance Strengths & Weaknesses – Use self-awareness to improve decision-making and emotional intelligence.
- Enhance Team Dynamics – Understanding diverse personal styles strengthens collaboration and productivity.
When leaders assess and adjust their personal styles, they create stronger connections, better teamwork, and higher organizational effectiveness.
Practical Exercise: The “Mirror & Map” Method
To assess and refine your personal leadership style, use these two steps:
Mirror – Self-Reflection on Your Leadership Style
- How do I naturally communicate? (Direct, supportive, analytical, big-picture)
- How do I typically make decisions? (Quick and instinctive, or slow and data-driven?)
- What feedback have I received about my leadership style?
Map – Identify & Adapt to Others’ Styles
- Observe how team members react to your communication—do they need more details or prefer direct action?
- Identify colleagues who are more data-driven vs. relationship-driven—how can you adjust your approach?
- Practice one small adjustment this week—speak in a way that matches the listener’s style.
Action Step: Use the Mirror & Map method in your next team interaction—observe your natural style, recognize others’ preferences, and adapt your approach to enhance collaboration.