We are what we think, so what we say to ourselves shapes our reality.
Recent research concludes that
the way we talk about ourselves defines our leadership
.
Professors Alyson Meister, Wei Zheng and Brianna Barker Caza published the results of a curious analysis a month ago in the Harvard Business Review.
After interviewing 92 team leaders, they found that they could define their current leadership style as they explained how they had become leaders.
That is,
the personal history of difficulties, overcoming and achievements conditions the lens with which we see reality and the way in which we lead other people
.
According to the study authors, these lenses can be grouped into four types.
They are called leading from being, from commitment, from performance and from acceptance.
The reality is that no classification is perfect, especially on these issues, but this one that we address gives interesting clues about how leadership can be developed in organizations and in ourselves.
Remember that leading is not synonymous with hierarchy, but with the ability to influence, something that is available to all people, regardless of age or position.
Let's see the classification made by these teachers and what keys it holds for organizations and people.
1.
Leading from being:
who has always seen himself with the ability to lead
There are people who remember themselves with the capacity to influence from school, organizing events, being captains of the teams in which they participated ... And most importantly, they have a narrative of their own life based on that capacity.
They perceive themselves as self-confident, optimistic, and naturally skilled
, often referred to as inspirational leaders, according to the researchers.
Many people understand that leadership is exclusively that which is explained in this model.
That you are born being a leader.
However, it is just one of many different types out there and it doesn't have to be the best.
It also has certain disadvantages.
Among them, excessive self-confidence, which can generate little space for learning and arouse some difficulties in living with other individuals with the same profile.
2.
From the commitment:
who assumes the challenge as a challenge
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There are people who have never encountered a difficulty and who have never taken up the challenge of leading.
They do not perceive themselves as natural leaders, but as people committed to solving an urgent need, such as starting a new organization, addressing a crisis situation or mediating a conflict.
According to the authors of the research,
these leaders gravitate towards a more facilitative leadership style,
focusing on engaging others to achieve collective action.
The study shows that it is a more common style in women.
3.
From performance:
who leads by duty and responsibility
At this point are the people who assume managerial positions due to duty to the company or responsibility for their team.
They have never felt like natural leaders, but there seems to come a time when they become aware that they must exercise that direction.
These people tend to have
paternalistic styles and are marked by a demonstration of control, support and guidance by their team,
according to the authors of the report.
It seems that this typology is more widespread among men.
4.
From acceptance:
who leads because others follow him
Finally, we find people who do not recognize themselves as leaders until they realize that others are following them.
It may be that colleagues from school or work asked them for help or advice and at that moment they become aware of the role they are assuming.
This profile is often seen in discreet people who tend to support other individuals even above themselves.
We insist that no classification made on human behavior is perfect, but this proposal helps us to reflect on the importance of providing opportunities for people to develop capacities that even they themselves are unaware.
In addition, it offers us the opportunity to review our own narrative or what we say about ourselves.
Let's close the topic with two questions to ponder: how did you become the leader you are today?
Which of the above typologies do you most naturally tend to?
The answers you offer will explain your leadership.
Pilar Jericó
is an entrepreneur, writer, lecturer, PhD in Business Organization and disseminator of research on human behavior.
www.pilarjerico.com