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CHAPTER 4: THE LEADER AS AN INDIVIDUAL 117

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typical CEO has at least two, usually three, and often four strong preferences and
thus has a wide range of thinking options available to choose from. A
broad range of thinking styles is particularly important at higher
levels of organizations because leaders deal with a greater variety Action Memo
and complexity of people and issues. 35 As a leader, you can strive for “whole
Understanding that individuals have different thinking styles brain” thinking to deal effectively with a
You can be aware of your natural thinking
can also help leaders be more effective in interacting with follow- wide variety of people and complex issues.
ers. Some leaders act as if everyone responds to the same material patterns and include other perspectives that
and behavior in the same way, but this isn’t true. Some people prefer help you develop a broader understanding.

facts and figures, whereas others want to know about relationships
and patterns. Some followers prefer freedom and fl exibility, whereas
others crave structure and order. At Nissan Design International, Jerry
Hirshberg used an understanding of cognitive differences to change
how he leads.

IN THE LEAD Jerry Hirshberg, Nissan Design International
Jerry Hirshberg is a predominantly D-quadrant leader. He likes thinking broadly and
dreaming big, deriving ideas intuitively—and he abhors tight structure and control.
He once assumed that his employees would as well. Hirshberg wanted his design-
ers to have the freedom to be creative, to take risks, and to innovate. Therefore,
he was surprised when he learned that a few of his followers actually wanted and
needed more structure in order to perform at their best.
Hirshberg assumed his employees would react to information and ideas the
same way he did. He would throw huge amounts of information at them and expect
them to respond intuitively and creatively. Some people, however, always hesitated,
which Hirschberg originally interpreted as a resistance to innovation and change.
However, over time, he came to realize that some of his designers simply wanted
and needed time to “process” the information and to develop more logical, analyti-
cal approaches to Hirschberg’s intuitively derived ideas. When they were given this

time, the employees returned with significant contributions and excellent plans that
moved the project forward.