You Need Contrast to Grow as a Leader
I diverse community is a key ingredient to growth.
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Which side of the image above is more engaging?
Proximity associates elements, bringing them together. It helps you see the parts as a whole.
Contrast distinguishes elements, separating them from one another. It helps you see each part among the whole.
Let’s explore two ways contrast impacts our design as leaders:
- Contrast helps us stand out as a leader: leveraging our unique gifts and skills.
- Contrast helps us grow as a leader: being reshaped by a diversity of voices around us.
When we have a diversity of people around us, together we see through a multifaceted lens, with a much vibrant view of the world around us.
Contrast to Stand Out
An image without contrast is uninteresting. It doesn't draw or hold your attention.
Early in my leadership journey, many of the leadership books I read would be organized around a list of leadership qualities. And while this can be helpful as an overview, it seemed to indicate I needed to embody each of these qualities in the way the book described them to be a real leader.
Don't believe the myth that you must conform to a specific personality to be a leader.
I looked around for examples of leaders who I could learn from.
It seemed there was a specific profile that I would be expected to meet if I was to become a leader. It was something like the decisive, strategic, commanding general.
Over time I’ve discovered that while a leader can undoubtedly embody these qualities, there is much more diversity and depth to leadership. Don't believe the myth that you must conform to a specific personality to be a leader
A my leadership journey continued, Leading with a Limp by Dan Allender was an exceptionally great resource. It provided a picture of what it looks like to lead not only out of strength but out of weakness.
Not having to be good at everything and know all the answers in order to be a leader was a great relief. It provided space for me to grow as a leader and become the kind of leader that was uniquely me, shaped by my personal story and experiences.
If you’re only around people like yourself, you won’t grow.
Assessments like StrengthsFinder, Myers Briggs, Predictive Index, and the Enneagram can help us understand our design as leaders. They can help us identify areas of strength or weakness. They also provide schemas for us to make sense of why we make the decisions we make or why we respond the way we do.
I encourage you to take advantage of tools like these to learn about yourself. Reflect on what you discover, compare it with your experience, and ask for feedback from those around you.
Contrast cultivates empathy in us as leaders
I recommend you go through these tools with others, like your team. Not only does it builds trust and empathy within the team, but it also helps you, as the leader, see the potential in your team as individuals and as a whole.
As team members share more vulnerably with each other it builds trust and empowers mutual understanding. These are essential qualities to a high performing team.
It is common for individuals to not like their results at first, wishing they had the strengths or personality of others on the team. But this is also a perfect moment for them to see how they contrast and compliment others on the team.
Each person has a role to play and significant contributions to make.
In football, everyone wants to be the quarterback. But if you put eleven quarterbacks on the field in a game, it’s going to be hard to block and hard to win games.
Each person has a role to play and significant contributions to make. The more they, and others around them, recognize this, the healthier and more effective the team will be.
Leaning into these areas of your design will help you grow as the leader you uniquely are. You can leverage your specific strengths, bringing those to your team. You can also be more comfortable with your weaknesses, learning habits to mitigate them.
You’ll even begin to see the unique designs of those on your teams. You can help them grow, and together as a team, you’ll become much more than a sum of your individual abilities.
You also need contrast in the perspectives and ideas for a community to be effective.
Contrast to grow as a leader
“It’s lonely at the top.” It’s a common sentiment you hear from leaders. We’ve already seen how having proximity to others is crucial for long-term viability as a leader. You also need contrast in the perspectives and ideas for a community to be effective.
If you’re only around people like yourself, you won’t grow. When we have people with the same backgrounds, interests, world-views, educations… we only see through one lens. This amplifies our blind spots and leaves our assumptions unchallenged.
We are more susceptible to becoming lopsided leaders.
Why is this problem so common?
It’s natural to want to be around people like yourself, mainly because it’s easy. If everyone around me does the same thing on the weekends, eats at the same restaurants, and chooses the same family activities as me, I can label all of those as “normal,” and there is little friction in my life.
Together as a team, you’ll become much more than a sum of your individual abilities.
But when I invite a community that contrasts me, suddenly nobody is normal. It becomes a bit more complex to navigate life, but life becomes much richer.
When we have a diversity of people around us, together we see through a multifaceted lens, with a much vibrant view of the world around us. Contrast cultivates empathy in us as leaders, growing the ability to recognize the complexity of other peoples’ experiences.
Over time we learn to see differently. It becomes more natural to put ourselves in each other’s shoes, understanding each other’s experiences.
This empathy makes us better leaders and better people. And our teams make better decisions when they possess a contrast of perspectives, skills, experience, and background.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Team Leadership
What is team leadership?
Team leadership is a management approach focused on leading and guiding a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. A team leader is responsible for providing direction, support, and guidance to the team members, while fostering a positive and productive work environment.
Team leadership involves setting clear goals and expectations for the team, communicating effectively, and building trust and relationships with team members. It also involves empowering team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the team's success.
Some key characteristics of effective team leadership include:
- Communication: Team leaders communicate clearly and effectively with their team members, keeping them informed about goals, expectations, and progress.
- Vision and strategy: Effective team leaders have a clear vision for what they want to achieve and a strategy for how to get there, while also being flexible and adaptable when necessary.
- Empowerment: Good team leaders empower their team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work, while also providing support and guidance as needed.
- Trust-building: Team leaders build trust and strong relationships with their team members, creating a positive and productive work environment.
- Results-oriented: Finally, effective team leaders are results-oriented, focusing on achieving goals and driving performance while also valuing the well-being and development of their team members.
Overall, team leadership is a collaborative and empowering approach to management that values communication, trust-building, and results-driven performance.
What are the different styles of team leadership?
There are several different styles of team leadership, including:
- Democratic leadership: In this style, the leader encourages open communication and participation from all team members in decision-making processes.
- Autocratic leadership: This style involves the leader making decisions and taking control over the team's direction, often with little input from team members.
- Transformational leadership: This style focuses on inspiring and motivating team members to achieve their full potential, often by setting a clear vision and communicating goals effectively.
- Servant leadership: A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their team members, focusing on serving and empowering them to achieve their goals.
- Laissez-faire leadership: In this style, the leader provides minimal guidance or direction, allowing team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions independently.
- Transactional leadership: This style involves setting clear goals and expectations for team members and providing rewards or discipline based on performance.
- Situational leadership: This approach involves adapting one's leadership style to fit the specific situation or needs of the team at any given time.
Overall, each style of team leadership has its own strengths and weaknesses, and effective leaders may use a combination of different styles depending on the situation and the needs of their team.
What are the different skills required for team leadership?
There are several key skills required for effective team leadership, including:
- Clear: Team leaders must be to communicate effectively with their team members, setting clear expectations and goals, providing feedback, and keeping everyone informed about progress and changes.
- Active listening: Leaders need to be able to listen actively to their team members, hear their concerns, ideas, and suggestions, and work collaboratively to find solutions.
- Empathy: Good team leaders value empathy, recognizing and understanding the perspectives of their team members, and working to build trust and strong relationships
- Decision-making: Leaders must be able to make informed decisions based on available information and input from team members, while also being decisive when necessary.
- Problem-solving: Effective team leaders must be able to identify and solve problems that arise within the team, working collaboratively to find creative and effective solutions.
- Motivation and empowerment: Leaders must be able to motivate and empower their team members to take ownership of their work, overcome challenges, and achieve their full potential.
- Delegation and management: Team leaders must be able to delegate tasks effectively, manage resources and timelines, and oversee the work of the team to ensure quality and efficiency.
Overall, effective team leadership requires a combination of interpersonal, decision-making, and management skills, as well as the ability to inspire and empower team members to work collaboratively towards shared goals.
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
- Empathy: Servant leaders value empathy, placing themselves in the shoes of their followers to better understand their needs and motivations.
- Listening: They are active listeners, taking the time to listen to their followers' concerns, feedback, and ideas.
- Commitment to development: Servant leaders prioritize the growth and development of their followers, providing opportunities for learning and development.
- Humility: They recognize their own limitations and seek input from others to make informed decisions.
- Stewardship: Servant leaders view themselves as stewards of their organization, working to create a positive impact for all stakeholders.
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant Leadership
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
- Empathy: Servant leaders value empathy, placing themselves in the shoes of their followers to better understand their needs and motivations.
- Listening: They are active listeners, taking the time to listen to their followers' concerns, feedback, and ideas.
- Commitment to development: Servant leaders prioritize the growth and development of their followers, providing opportunities for learning and development.
- Humility: They recognize their own limitations and seek input from others to make informed decisions.
- Stewardship: Servant leaders view themselves as stewards of their organization, working to create a positive impact for all stakeholders.
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
How can servant leadership be beneficial in the workplace?
Servant leadership can be beneficial in the workplace in a number of ways, including:
- Improved employee engagement and job satisfaction: When employees feel supported, valued, and empowered by their leaders, they tend to be more engaged and satisfied with their work.
- Increased collaboration and teamwork: Servant leaders prioritize communication, collaboration, and trust-building, which can lead to stronger relationships and more effective teamwork.
- Higher levels of productivity and innovation: When leaders empower their team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their ideas, it can lead to higher levels of productivity and innovation.
- Reduced turnover and absenteeism: Employees who feel supported and valued are less likely to leave their jobs or call in sick, leading to reduced turnover and absenteeism rates.
- Improved organizational culture: Servant leadership can create a positive organizational culture that values growth, development, and well-being for all stakeholders, which can lead to improved morale and outcomes.
Overall, servant leadership can lead to a more positive, productive, and fulfilling workplace environment, benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
How does servant leadership differ from other leadership styles?
Servant leadership differs from many other leadership styles in several key ways:
- Focus on serving others: Servant leaders prioritize the needs and well-being of their followers over their own interests, while many other leadership styles focus more on achieving organizational goals.
- Empathy and listening skills: Servant leaders value empathy and active listening skills to better understand the needs and perspectives of their followers, while some other leadership styles may be more focused on asserting authority or making decisions without input from others.
- Collaboration and teamwork: Servant leaders prioritize collaboration and teamwork, seeking to empower and develop their followers to achieve their full potential, while other leadership styles may be more focused on competition or individual achievement.
- Humility and accountability: Servant leaders view themselves as stewards of their organization, prioritizing the well-being of all stakeholders and taking responsibility for their decisions, while some other leadership styles may be more focused on personal ambition or avoiding blame.
Overall, servant leadership is characterized by a focus on serving others, prioritizing empathy and collaboration, and taking a humble and accountable approach to leadership. While other leadership styles may be effective in different contexts, servant leadership can be a powerful tool for creating positive change and empowering others to reach their full potential.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
