Look in any organization and you'll see a variety of leadership styles. One crucial aspect of leadership is staying true to yourself and what feels most natural to you as a leader, which means not trying to be all things to all people. Research has found that most leadership styles fit into one of four categories. Understanding these categories can help leaders stay true to themselves while enhancing their skills, building their careers, and achieving their organization’s goals.

Today’s guest is Robert Jordan. Robert is the CEO of InterimExecs, which matches top executives with companies around the world. Based on research with thousands of leaders and companies, he and Olivia Wagner wrote "Right Leader Right Time: Discover Your Leadership Style for a Winning Career and Company," and have launched the FABS Leadership Assessment, a free assessment at RightLeader.com designed to help leaders and organizations perform better. Jordan also authored "How They Did It: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America," and helped publish "Start With No," Jim Camp’s bestseller on negotiation.

Robert and I talk about the four leadership styles, their strengths and optimal conditions in which each leadership style thrives, and how to think about your career to optimize your leadership potential.

Members of the Modern Manager community can participate in a free, town-hall style webinar. In this webinar, Robert will give direct, real-time feedback on peoples’ leadership styles to help them grow personally and professionally. Get access when you join the Modern Manager community.

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Read the related blog article: Use the Four Leadership Styles to Advance Your Work

KEEP UP WITH ROBERT

Right Leader website: https://www.rightleader.com/

Interim Executives website: https://interimexecs.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/interim_execs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjjordan/

Key Takeaways:

• There are four types of leadership approaches; Fixers, Artists, Builders, and Strategists. Each archetype has skills, contexts, and motivators that enable it to thrive.
• The Fixer is drawn to broken organizations and crises.
• The Artist sees a project as a blank canvas. They will say or do what others won’t. 
• The Builder thrives in growing small teams/projects into something much larger. They get bored when scale is achieved.
• The Strategist loves working with large, complex teams. They have strong company loyalty and love mentorship opportunities. 
• Most leadership styles (except The Artist) are realized through experience as you go about your career. Pay attention to what excites you.
• Managers fail when they try to do everything. Secure leaders concentrate on strengths and let others take charge.
• Be careful not to overdo your strengths. A Fixer might create problems that don’t exist.
• Have your team take a FABS leadership assessment and share their findings for better collaboration.

mamie@mamieks.com

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