LeadershipCompass.pdf

Leadership Compass

Can understanding the way you approach work and how it differs from other

approaches help you practice effective leadership?

Topics:

Self-awareness, work styles, teamwork

Summary: The Leadership Compass provides participants a tool for understanding how they

approach work and how it can differ from others’. One key to effective leadership is

to be flexible in your work style and receptive to others whose styles differ from

your own.

Outcomes: Participants take away a deeper understanding and appreciation for each other’s

work styles and approaches

Participants take away a deeper understanding of the need for a variety of work

styles to make our organization function

Participants take away a deeper sense of team and teamwork

Participants take away a device and language to help work together better as a team

and an organization

Duration: 60 minutes

Materials: Posters of the directions of the Leadership Compass

Handouts 1–4

Newsprint or large sheets of paper

Markers

Procedure: Warm Up:

Before starting, set up the room so that each corner represents a cardinal point (i.e.,

north, south, etc.). Small groups will gather in their specified corners.

Introduce the Leadership Compass. Like a directional compass, the Leadership

Compass has four directions, or ways in which people approach work. Many of us

work in all of the directions at different times. Many of us have a resting place

where we tend to be most comfortable. It is important for participants to know their

preferred leadership style and to be able to communicate and work with people with

other styles.

The Activity:

1. Give the participants an opportunity to read Handouts 1–4, which contain

descriptions of the four leadership styles. (10 minutes)

2. Ask participants to think about the one that most applies to them. If someone has

difficulty determining which style to choose, have them ask themselves these

questions:

What seems most comfortable?

What is your tendency when under pressure?

Adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble. An EnCorps

resource. Please retain the original program attribution when adapting or using this resource. Rev. June 2007.

Leadership Compass ▪ Page 2 of 6

What is your first inclination when you get a new project?

What feedback have you been given about yourself?

3. After participants have decided where they fit best, have them form small groups

in the corners of the room based on their preferred approach.

4. Based on their work experiences, ask each group to answer the following

questions on chart paper. Have the groups report out.

What is really great about being your direction?

What is really hard about being your direction?

5. Ask each direction to plan a vacation. Give them very few instructions except

that they have 10 minutes to plan a vacation as a group. Give them chart paper to

record the trip they are planning. Have each group present their vacation. Notice

the differences in style.

Wrap Up:

1. Have each group answer the following question on chart paper:

What are 10 tips that others can follow to work best with your direction?

2. Have participants choose a theme song for their direction. They will be asked to

sing it as a group. (For example: West – Taking Care of Business, East – My

Way)

3. Here are a few additional questions and topics you can ask the groups to address:

What is your direction’s greatest strength?

What is your direction’s greatest weakness?

What is your direction’s pet peeve?

What pace does your direction keep?

What animal best represents your direction?

What would be your direction’s mascot?

Sources:

The Personality Compass by Diane Turner and Thelma Greco, 1998.

The Medicine Way: A Shamanic Path to Self-Mastery . Kenneth Meadows. Element, 1991.

The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology . Sun Bear and Waburn. Simon and Schuster, 1980.

Leadership Compass ▪ Page 3 of 6

HANDOUT 1

North: The “Get It Done” Person

Approach to Work

Assertive, Active, Decisive

Likes to be in control and determine the course of events

Quick to act, expresses urgency for others to act quickly also

Enjoys challenging people and situations

Thinks in terms of the “bottom line”

Likes a quick pace and the fast track

Courageous, Ambitious, and Confident

Perseveres – Not stopped by “NO”

Goal-centered, ambitious

Hardworking leader who is comfortable being in front

Value Words – “Do it now!” “I’ll do it.”

Best Ways to Work with a North

Present your case quickly, clearly, and with enthusiasm and confidence

Let them know they will be involved – their payoff and their role

Focus on the “challenge” of the task.

Provide them with plenty of autonomy

Establish timelines and stick with them

Give them positive, public recognition

Use them to complete tasks that require motivation, persuasion, and initiative

Leadership Compass ▪ Page 4 of 6

HANDOUT 2

South: The Nurturer

Approach to Work

Friendly, Likeable team player

Allows others to feel important

Supportive, nurturing and caring towards colleagues

Willing to trust others’ statements at face value

Peace-loving, sympathetic, and helpful

Feelings-based, trusts own emotions and intuition as truth

Able to focus on the present moment

Process-centered

Generous, non-competitive and likes to build on the ideas of others

Value Words: “Right” and “Fair”

Best Ways to Work with a South

Remember process, attention to what is happening with the relationship between you

Justify your decisions around values and ethics

Appeal your relationship with this person and his or her other relationships

Listen hard and allow the expression of feelings and intuition in logical arguments

Be aware that this person may have a hard time saying “NO” and may be easily

steamrolled

Provide plenty of positive reassurance and likeability

Let the personal know you like them and appreciate them

Leadership Compass ▪ Page 5 of 6

HANDOUT 3

East: The Visionary

Approach to Work

Innovative, Creative and sees the big picture

Very idea oriented, focuses on future thought

Risk-taker, adventurous, spontaneous

Has insight into mission and purpose

Looks for overarching themes and ideas

Appreciates a lot of information

Strong spiritual awareness, free spirited, unconventional

Likes to experiment and explore

Value words: “Option” “Possibility”

Best Ways to Work with an East

Show appreciation and enthusiasm for ideas

Listen and be patient during idea generation

Avoid criticizing or judging ideas

Allow and support divergent thinking

Provide a variety of tasks

Provide help and supervision to support detail and project follow through

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