Part of being a good leader is the ability to adjust or take a balanced approach. Opportunities for adjustment and balance never disappear, especially if you want growth and results.
So how should we adjust? How do we be a balanced leader? It is not just in terms of the logistics of matters and time, but the adjustment is in terms of what type of leader we are, adapting appropriately to what type of leader is needed in the situation, and what type of leader you want to be.
To get you started on how you can show up as a balanced leader, here are four manifestations of leadership based on the Insights Discovery Color Energies. Below this image, you will get ideas on how you can leverage each of the Color Energies to show up in each manifestation as needed.
Results Leadership
This entails a robust focus on tasks, the capacity to prioritize effectively, and accomplishing tasks efficiently. Results Leadership heavily relies on Jung’s Thinking function, allowing leaders to approach problems and challenges objectively and rigorously.
Succeeding in Results Leadership necessitates leaders to primarily utilize a blend of Cool Blue and Fiery Red energies. However, each of the four color energies can yield results in its unique manner:
Fiery Red: Operates at a rapid pace with a sense of urgency.
Sunshine Yellow: Offers continuous encouragement without relenting.
Earth Green: Strives diligently to fulfil commitments, viewing it as a personal obligation.
Cool Blue: Ensures consistency in the team's outcomes through careful consideration.
Centered Leadership
Utilizing the introverted color energies of Earth Green and Cool Blue, Centered Leadership empowers leaders to turn their focus inward, engaging in introspection regarding their thoughts, feelings, values, and motivations. Centred Leadership also taps into Jung’s Sensing function, allowing individuals to reflect on past experiences and cultivate awareness of the beliefs and values underpinning their leadership. Skillful utilization of this function enables leaders to remain fully present, attentive to the current moment, and wholly focused on the task at hand.
As mentioned above, excelling in Centred Leadership demands leaders to primarily harness a blend of Earth Green and Cool Blue energies. However, each of the four color energies can embody centeredness in its unique manner:
Fiery Red: Strives to comprehend oneself to enhance effectiveness.
Sunshine Yellow: Exhibits openness and expressiveness, often comfortable sharing personal information.
Earth Green: Demonstrates sensitivity and self-awareness while remaining eager to explore and learn.
Cool Blue: Upholds principles and maintains consistency in actions and decisions.
Visionary Leadership
Harnessing the extraverted color energies of Fiery Red and Sunshine Yellow, Visionary Leadership empowers leaders to direct their focus outward, assessing the environment to discern needs and opportunities, and devising strategies to address them. Visionary Leadership also heavily relies on Intuition, enabling leaders to make connections and perceive possibilities that may elude others.
As mentioned above, excelling in Visionary Leadership demands leaders to primarily leverage a combination of Fiery Red and Sunshine Yellow energies. However, each of the four color energies can embody visionary qualities in its unique manner:
Fiery Red: Takes proactive steps to translate vision into tangible reality.
Sunshine Yellow: Emerges as a continual source of innovative ideas.
Earth Green: Ensures that any envisioned future aligns closely with personal values.
Cool Blue: Approaches the conception of potential visions for the future with a realistic and pragmatic mindset.
Relationship Leadership
The leader who exhibits Relationship Leadership fosters relationships, community, and encourages collaboration to cultivate potential in individuals. They emphasize the importance of nurturing relationships that foster mutual respect and teamwork. This form of leadership heavily relies on Jung’s Feeling function, ensuring that consideration for others is paramount in all interactions. With the Feeling function, there is also an innate desire to be accommodating and supportive of others.
Excelling in Relationship Leadership demands leaders to primarily utilize a combination of Sunshine Yellow and Earth Green energies. However, each of the four color energies can contribute to building relationships in its unique manner:
Fiery Red: Positively challenges others to elevate their standards.
Sunshine Yellow: Believes in the potential of others and strives to help them realize it.
Earth Green: Possesses excellent listening skills and shows genuine interest in others' growth.
Cool Blue: Establishes clear principles, rules, and guidelines for the team.
Being self-aware as a leader is the first step to being a good leader. Take a moment to look at the questions below to dial into your balanced leadership.
Which of the four manifestations accurately describes your leadership?
Which of the four manifestations seems the most foreign or uncomfortable?
Which manifestation do you need right now to get you and your team to where you want to go and have the results you want to have?
What is one action you want to commit to to balance of the way you lead?
There’s no need to hope that you eventually become the leader you want to be, you can work on becoming that leader, today.
If you would like to know more about becoming a balanced, self-aware leader click here.