This is how you can use your strengths to boss up

Whether you’ve decided to take a leap from employee to boss or worked your way up the ranks, congratulations! But what sort of leader will you be?

Setting up a business or getting a promotion at work means being self-aware so you can lead with intention. Personality coach Claudia Brandt explains new bosses tend to respond in one of three ways.

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“The first is to be excited about your boss’s recognition of your hard work, the power to connect with people and be valued, seen and loved. The second involves wanting to show your mettle and getting excited about moving the company forward now you have the power to change it. The last involves putting your values in place, wanting to improve systems and processes, and creating a safe future by fact-driven, researched decisions in your field of expertise but also for the team and company.”

Claudia says we all possess these qualities, but because no two people are alike, you’re either led by thinking, feeling or action responses, and your dominant traits inform your leadership style.

Here, Claudia draws from Dr Andreas Rissler’s Personality-ABC, a simple yet effective emotional intelligence tool that helps you understand three fundamental strengths as a boss.

Yellow/feeling

You love the idea of finally being acknowledged because you generally do a lot and don’t ask for much. Your approach is people-centred, meaning you’re driven by a genuine desire to connect with others. As a boss, you go out of your way to serve your team, clients and business. You’re more concerned about keeping people in employment and offering them a future.

Your superpower:

You’re socially aware, which allows you to respond to peoples’ needs. Your ability to empathise also makes it easier for people to connect with you. At your best, you inspire people to embrace their superpower so they can feel fulfilled and connected.

Shadow:

You struggle to say no and may overcommit yourself to the point of exhaustion. You also find it challenging to hold people accountable because you don’t want to upset anyone.

How you can improve:

As a leader, you need to have clear boundaries in place so people know what’s expected of them. Learn to love yourself more and work on establishing boundaries and being more firm.

Red/action

You’re highly ambitious and driven by power, mainly to change. You’re also driven by a desire to action things, which is the engine room of your success. You want to be exceptional at what you do and want others to see that you’re excelling.

Your superpower: You’re strong and you get things done. Your can-do attitude is infectious, and those around you have confidence in your ability to lead. At your best, you inspire people to embrace their superpower to apply a change in the world.

Shadow: Your impatience, frustration and anger may scare others, you may be overly ambitious and expect people to perform beyond their capabilities.

How you can improve:

Tap into the zeitgeist and work on having a more realistic approach so you can manage your expectations. You must also learn to let go of control and trust other people to do a good job, within reason.

Blue/thinking

You’re concerned with the details, so you ask questions such as, what is all of this based on? Are we making sense? Are we stringent in what we’re doing? Are we staying true to our values and principles? Are we using our resources in the best possible way? And, most importantly, do we know where we’re going? Specialising and growing your knowledge and understanding is a top priority for you.

Your superpower:

You’re integral and hold yourself and others accountable. If there’s one person who knows the system and processes inside out, it’s you. You inspire people to embrace their superpower so they can contribute to the awakening of the world.

Shadow:

You’re more interested in making things work than you are in other people and immediate action. You may be overly invested in the process as a result. You neglect your team because you think they don’t really need you.

How you can improve:

Learn to trust the world more. You’ve an insatiable appetite for knowledge, which you consider your safety net. Connect with fellow human beings to offer your hard-won wisdom to the world to serve in practical ways.

Claudia affirms inner work, and striving for balance allows you to let in all three colours. “This entails inner healing towards self-love, -trust and -respect,” she concludes.