Simon Cowell - archetypal ruler boss
Rulers - you are the archetypal boss personality types – you have to be careful not to be domineering, not to watch over people’s shoulders too much if you’ve delegated a task and not to get impatient if someone needs something explained more than once. Since you’re totally results-driven you need to understand that delegation of task-types to the relevant personality types in your team is essential to get the job done. Remember – you’re not good at everything, rulers, even though you think you are.
With other rulers you can generally get the job done unless you have a particularly ambitious ruler with whom you’re locking horns. Be sure to keep this ruler in his or her place and make it clear what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Praise your ruler team members when they get great results, especially when they exceed expectation. In a disciplinary situation keep it short, sharp and clear. Just the top line is all that is necessary, as you know from your own experience. Delegate to your other rulers to keep them motivated and always stretching and learning – they’ll thank you for it.
Examiners, like you, are task-driven. However, remember that they aren’t as quick as you, in processing information or getting the job done. On the plus-side they are much better at attention to detail and may actually get a better result because of that. Try not to get too impatient with them – let them email you their thoughts 2 hours after the meeting to make sure you’ve captured their great input. Examiners need to mull over a puzzle before they can come up with a solution – again they may often come up with something better than you if you’d just give them the chance. Be detailed and specific in your praise and discipline – they need to know exactly what was good, bad and indifferent and why. Give them a game-plan for next time.
Unifier team members are the most mystifying and frustrating to you. They get upset easily, crumble under your harsh gaze and seem to care more about everyone having a nice time than getting the job done. You would do well to take a few leaves out of their book in their attention to the emotional well-being of the team. Ask after their family or pet – even just once in a while will stop you seeming like such a heartless ogre. When disciplining a unifier tread very lightly – don’t beat them over the head with a sledgehammer. Accentuate what a good job they do in other areas as well as pointing out where they could have done better. And thank them for the meeting – this can take a lot of the sting out of it. Unifiers like to be valued for their caring qualities so try and pick up on these and praise them for their innumerable acts of kindness in the workplace.
