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3 Key Leadership Challenges – and 3 Helpful Tips!

What are some of the biggest challenges that leaders face?

The most common and significant ones often relate to the process of leadership… creating a vision, getting people on board with the vision and then making the vision a reality.

And success in this will depend on each leader’s individual DiSC® leadership style.

All leaders, whatever their DiSC® leadership style, are going to find certain aspects of the leadership process easier than others. They will all have strengths and challenges.

Dominance Leadership Style Chart

Let’s look at the ‘D’ for ‘Dominance’ leadership style

Many leaders (by the very virtue that they are in a leadership position) bring to the workplace a naturally ‘D’ or ‘Dominance’ behavioural style.

Indeed, when recruiting senior people, employers are often looking for confident individuals who can make quick decisions and drive results.

Three key leadership challenges for individuals with a ‘Dominance’ DiSC® profile are, however, as follows:

1: The challenge of ‘being receptive’ Vs ‘being challenging’ when wanting to get ‘buy-in’ from your team.

Busy leaders with a Dominance DiSC® style can, without even being aware of it, come across as naturally challenging people.

An ability to show with words and body language that they’re open to questioning from others may not come easily to them.

They can, from time to time, even give off a limiting, ‘I’m right, don’t question me’ kind of vibe.

The trouble with this is that the people in their team will feel unable to come forward and say what they really think and all thoughts and suggestions (even the really useful ones) will be buried or voiced elsewhere.

Tips to help with this

When working with your team make sure that the words you use, your tone of voice, your body language and the pace you’re working at says to your people, “I’m open to your challenge and I’m receptive to your input. In fact, I’d really welcome it.” That way, you’ll know what they really think, be able to deal with the issues they raise and create alignment in the team to the vision.

2: The challenge of ‘presenting information v’s exchanging it.

There is a big difference between simply presenting information and exchanging it.

An effective leader understands that the way to get people on board and get ownership is by developing a dialogue rather than by just giving instructions.

Tips to help with this

Find the right space and time so that an open discussion can take place.

Once again, take care to be receptive to ideas from other people and to allow an exchange of views.

Listen to what people have to say and then repeat back to them your own understanding of this.

Be prepared to give up some control of both the discussion and the project so that others can take on more responsibility and ownership.

Finally, if beneficial fresh information comes to light during the discussion, then be flexible and develop the ability to change direction.

3: The challenge of giving praise

Praise is not just about remembering to say ‘well done’ when a job is completed.

It’s also about recognising and noticing what people are doing on a day to day basis, confirming that they’re on the right track and also that they’re taking responsibility.

Two men in suits talking while standing

Some leaders with a ‘D’ style completely forget to let people know that they’re valued. It’s a blind spot! The trouble with this is that, without genuine praise, people often start to disengage. Why should they care if the project succeeds or fails?

Tips to help with this

Use each team member’s detailed DiSC® behavioural profile to ensure you always give them the support they need to bring out the best in them.

Take the time to understand what people’s contributions actually are so that you can point out what they’ve done well.

Make sure that your praise is genuine. People can spot when it’s not!

The right people – the right balance

DiSC® certification and DiSC® accreditation will help you as an HR or training and development professional:

  • Bring out the best in your leaders
  • Create more effective managers
  • Develop more cohesive teams.

The Everything DiSC® work of leaders model is valued by many business managers and team leaders as it gives them clear information about their strengths and challenges and how to improve.

This diagnostic enables leaders to lead so much more effectively together and achieve higher success.

Find out more

If you do not have DiSC® behavioural profiles for your people or if you’d simply like to know more about Everything DiSC® Work of Leaders Profiles and leadership training from the Academy of High Achievers, then please contact us.

For more information, please call me (Julie French) or email me.