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How To Become A More Savvy Leader Based On Your Leadership Type

Self-promotion at work is a good thing. However, it’s not always easy to lead those strong self-promoters on your team. They might go beyond a healthy level of visibility and enter the world of shameless self-promotion. And, according to The Center for Creative Leadership, if you’re not careful as a leader, you might buy into all the hype.

The post says bosses, team leaders and project managers need to be able to sort through the noise to get an accurate picture of individual talent and how the team functions. When you know how to separate the facts from the fluff, you can respond with discernment. 

In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we highlight a post from The Center for Creative Leadership that explains four common types of bosses and how each type can become savvier leaders. 

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The clueless. According to the post, this kind of boss is neither open to being influenced nor very discerning. If you fall into this category, you may take information at face value and you may not differentiate between the difficulty of work and levels of success. The post says clueless bosses are not aware of the role self-promotion plays in their workplace, and as a result, their employees may feel undervalued and unmotivated.

The gullible. This type of boss is easily influenced. They can especially be swayed by anyone or any information that can make them look good. The post says gullible bosses may be easily dazzled by people or projects that are high-profile or exciting. With someone like this in charge, hardworking, effective staff members often don’t get recognized. Those who self-promote and know how to dazzle their boss are the ones who get ahead. 

The skeptical. This kind of boss isn’t very open to influence but is highly discerning, the post says. You might fall into this category if you value integrity and capability above all. Skeptical leaders also tend to be naturally curious and don’t take people at face value. The downside? Skeptics may overlook a person or information that doesn’t make it through their filters. They may be seen as too negative and at times not very approachable.

The savvy. Ideally, every team would have a savvy leader at the helm. These types of bosses know how to be discerning while remaining open to influence. According to the post, savvy leaders tend to be self-aware and confident without being arrogant. They’re not threatened by others’ ideas, and they welcome everyone’s contributions — even if they don’t align with their personal views. 

There’s a difference between trying to gain visibility and being an all-out attention seeker. Make sure you’re not promoting only the spotlight-seekers, but those who truly deserve the recognition or position. This is key in becoming a savvier leader. 

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: The Center for Creative Leadership, which is a global provider of executive education. 

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