Team leaders navigate a constant mix of personalities, goals, working styles, and pressures—all pulling in different directions at once. Each person on your team brings something special to the table, and it’s essential to maximize those individual strengths to improve collective performance.
That might sound like a tall order, but tailoring leadership development opportunities is often what creates deep, long-lasting impact. So how can you ensure your training resonates with the different personalities on your team? We’ve laid it all out in this blog post, including the tools you’ll need to drive measurable improvement!
Why Personality Matters in Leadership Training
Your leaders aren’t just managing bodies and brains. They’re managing real people with different strengths, motivations, and communication preferences. Some are analytical and cautious; others are inspirational innovators. Some thrive on collaboration, while others prefer autonomy. Truly successful teams with the right resources have learned how to celebrate these differences and manage nuances in harmony.
Five Actions You Can Take to Personalize Your Leadership Training
1. Start with Self-Awareness
Before leaders can adapt to the needs of others, they need to understand themselves. Tools such as personality assessments help leaders identify their natural tendencies and uncover blind spots. That’s why we recommend Propel by Blanchard™, an online leadership development platform with access to the industry’s top assessments, paired with customizable learning opportunities that enable leaders to get to know themselves and others on a much deeper level.
2. Offer Alternative Learning Paths
Not every personality thrives in the same learning environment. Reflective processors may prefer self-paced self-study options, while active processors may enjoy live virtual discussion sessions. Some people prefer opportunities to apply what they’ve learned, while others crave time to reflect. You can accommodate these different styles seamlessly by choosing from the wide range of flexible solutions available from Blanchard® in the Leadership Marketplace.
3. Let Your People Choose Their Path
Modern leaders are more likely to embrace development when it resonates with their interests and goals. By giving people the ability to choose learning formats, pace, and topics, you demonstrate that their needs are important and they have value in your organization—not just as an employee, but as a person. The result? Empowered and engaged learners who want to keep growing.
4. Teach Flexibility in Leadership Style
The best leaders meet their team members where they are. While some personalities may seek more direction, others may crave support, or, alternatively, be ready for more autonomy. Blanchard’s flagship model, SLII®, teaches leaders to match their management approach to team member development levels to reduce conflict and boost performance.
5. Empower Your Internal Champions
Flexible, ready-to-use content allows you to focus development in ways that reflect your unique company culture and team member personalities. With modular, research-backed programs such as Coaching Essentials® and Team Leadership, you can apply your existing knowledge of your team to address key growth areas and deliver training in a way that resonates with each individual.
Ready to personalize your leadership development offerings? Whether you’re a decision maker looking to cultivate a tailored training curriculum or a leader looking to boost your potential, the resources you need are waiting for you in the Blanchard Leadership Marketplace. Not sure where to start? Take our Leadership Path Advisor Quiz!
About the Author
More Content by Sarah Hickok
