Uncovering Your Leader Within

Imagine a workplace full of people who had the courage to lead others in a way that empowered all those around them to perform better and achieve more personal and organizational goals.

Further, imagine all of these people working together, under one roof (real or virtual), driven with passion, oozing with self-confidence, mindful of one purpose and with the knowledge that their efforts are significant and appreciated.

And imagine if these people, these driven, self-motivated leaders worked for (and with) you . . .

Personality theory suggests that leadership can be expressed in many different ways. Real leaders get to know the many faces of leadership and the strengths and challenges of each of these different leadership styles.

In that knowledge lays the courage to face reality. Leaders know their limitations, their abilities, and they know when and where they need help. They recognize and use the talents of others. They accept differences as strengths and encourage others to grow, take risks and perform better.

Authentic leaders dare to be honest, are trustworthy, give clear expectations and walk their talk. People know WHO they are by WHAT they do. These enlightened leaders know that the bottom line is really quite simple.

Success at work, and in life, can largely depend on how you connect and build relationships with others. These relationships depend on your ability to communicate well. And, your ability to communicate depends on your:

• general life experiences,
• work & education experiences,
• environment,
• perceptions,
• personality.

Personality theory suggests that people have innate preferences for how they prefer to Energize, Communicate, Make decisions, and Express their Needs and Values to the world.

Knowing your values is the most powerful leadership tool you'll ever have. It is the start to understanding what works, and doesn't work, when developing relationships with others. When we acknowledge and respect our own values, strengths and abilities, we are better able to use that knowledge to connect and communicate better with others. And, in doing so, we learn to appreciate the different talents of others. It is then that we not only recognize but also appreciate and respect the differences of others. We connect and communicate better - and that means more effective leadership.

People who understand others and communicate well will always have the advantage. Poor communication skills can often mean the difference between success at work (and in life) and a life filled with misunderstandings, confusion and lost opportunities.

The more you know about your own personal leadership and communication styles, the more you will be able to understand and meet the differing communication needs of others.

When you "put your personality to work", you will be able to develop more effective personal and professional success strategies, communicate assertively more often, and develop your personal leadership abilities. You will be able to perform more effectively, and with greater ease.

And, when you perform better at work, you experience better work satisfaction, which leads to a better blend of personal and organization goals and an enhanced work-life balance.

And a better work-life balance impacts the bottom line - personally and professionally. It's about making a bottom-line difference - one personality at a time - and it starts with the leader in YOU!

Go ahead, start putting your personality to work - it's worth the effort!

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Joan Grobb Augustino , Career & Personality Specialist , helps people and companies perform better by aligning WHO they are with WHAT they do for better balance, attitudes, teams and career development practices. Caution! Joan’s keynote speeches & training events have been known to cause laughter, increased self-esteem and joy of work – and life! The information contained herein is intended as a tool to assist in professional and personal development. The writer is not responsible for any outcomes as a result of using the information. Joan invites your comments and questions at: joan@coreperformancegroup.com or at www.coreperformancegroup.com Bringing LIFE to WORK and WORK to LIFE! Joan Grobb Augustino & Core Performance Group. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint this article for educational and professional development purposes is granted providing the above footer and copyright is printed along with it.

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