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Everything you need to know about a Strategist

The Strategist leader

Strategists are great at putting ideas to action. So how exactly do they lead their teams to victory?

As leaders, Strategists are innovative yet analytical, with an ability to think big picture while driving toward results. They tend to be reflective, and enjoy working with facts and data. Moreover, Strategists value time to develop their expertise, and are known to be organized and thorough. They tend to be restrictive with delegation, giving tasks only when they’re confident they’ll be done quickly and done well.

Below is a list of strengths and cautions when a Strategist is in a management role.

Leading strengths
  • Can think quickly and freely
  • Able to anticipate problems
  • Takes calculated risks
  • Comfortable under pressure
Leading cautions
  • Can come across as authoritative
  • May struggle to delegate authority
  • Standards may be perfectionistic
  • Can become frustrated with delays

But it’s not just about knowing how you lead; you also should be aware of the individuals you manage and the Team Type they form. This allows you to tailor your leadership strategies based on the people you’re actually managing—and use your strengths as a Strategist to your advantage.

Let’s say you’re a Strategist who’s managing a Cultivating Team. This Team Type is on the quadrant directly opposite yours, which means you’ll generally have competing values. Don’t panic! Different personalities don’t innately lead to failure. Understanding this difference in opinions, however, is a crucial step.

Take a look below at some points of friction to be aware of. Use these to learn how you can apply your strengths and lead a team that doesn’t directly align with your Reference Profile.

Leading a Cultivating Team as a Strategist

When a Strategist is leading a Cultivating Team, they may struggle to adapt to the team’s steady pace and collaborative nature. They may encounter areas of friction, but there are ways they can help their people stretch their behavioral drives and make the team feel like magic.

Friction

Benefits

The Cultivating Team’s desire for group consensus may clash with a Strategist’s assertive, task-focused style. The leader may become frustrated that the team is not showing the urgency the leader thinks is needed to meet their goals.

A Strategist’s high intensity and focus on structure can clash with the Cultivating Team’s more informal, easygoing style. It can be frustrating for team members if they feel they’re not being given enough time or flexibility to do their work.

Strategists may struggle to delegate authority or tasks to other team members. Yet Cultivating Teams thrive when it comes to teamwork and collaboration. A Cultivating Team can help Strategists bring more people into the decision-making process when appropriate.

A Cultivating Team may hesitate to make unpopular decisions. Yet Strategists can quickly analyze a scenario and make recommendations based on objective facts. In doing so, they can help the team take action and make forward progress.

Consider the benefits and areas of friction that can arise within a differently aligned team. Then come up with strategies that will help you lean into your strengths. For example, you could create a detailed action plan and ask the group to nominate team members best equipped to drive certain tasks to completion. Provide ample opportunities for collaboration, and use data to ensure the team’s measuring up to its goals.

So, we understand who we are, where we fit into a team, and how we can lead other teams as a Strategist. When it comes to leading, though, there is much more to consider. You also need to think about what Strategy Type your team needs to accomplish its goals.

Are you prepared to make sure your team feels like magic rather than causing constant friction? Want to learn more? Check out our two workshops around building and cultivating teams that work like a dream.

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