Page 137 - leadership-experience-2008

CikguOnline
CikguOnline
118 PART 3: THE PERSONAL SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
It didn’t take Hirshberg long to recognize that the contributions of the more logical,
IN THE LEAD analytical, and detail-oriented thinkers were just as critical to the success of a project as

those of the intuitive, creative thinkers. Hirshberg turned his realization into a new approach
to creativity at Nissan. He now hires designers in what he calls divergent pairs. He believes
that by putting together two spectacularly gifted people who have different cognitive styles
and see the world in different ways, he builds a creative tension that keeps the organiza-
tion energized and provides unlimited potential for innovation. Essentially, Hirshberg mixes
styles to create a “whole brain” company at Nissan Design International.
36
As this example illustrates, leaders can shift their styles and behaviors to more
effectively communicate with followers and to help them perform up to their
full potential. Leaders can also recruit people with varied cognitive styles to help
achieve goals.

Problem-Solving Styles: The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
Another approach to cognitive differences grew out of the work of psychologist
Carl Jung. Jung believed that differences in individual behavior resulted from
preferences in how we go about gathering and evaluating information for solving
37
problems and making decisions. One of the most widely used personality tests
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator in the United States, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), is one way of measuring
(MBTI) how individuals differ in these areas. The MBTI has been taken by millions of
(MBTI)
38
personality test that measures
personality test that measures
how individuals differ in
how individuals differ in people around the world and can help individuals better understand themselves
gathering and evaluating
gathering and evaluating and others. Nearly 90 percent of Fortune 100 companies report using the MBTI
information for solving problems
information for solving problems to help leaders make hiring and promotion decisions. 39
and making decisions
and making decisions
The MBTI uses four different pairs of attributes to classify people in 1 of 16
different personality types:
1. Introversion versus extraversion: This dimension focuses on where people
gain interpersonal strength and mental energy. Extraverts (E) gain energy
from being around others and interacting with others, whereas introverts
(I) gain energy by focusing on personal thoughts and feelings.
2. Sensing versus intuition: This identifies how a person absorbs information.
Those with a sensing preference (S) gather and absorb information through
the five senses, whereas intuitive people (N) rely on less direct perceptions.
Intuitives, for example, focus more on patterns, relationships, and hunches
than on direct perception of facts and details.
3. Thinking versus feeling: This dimension relates to how much consideration
a person gives to emotions in making a decision. Feeling types (F) tend to
rely more on their values and sense of what is right and wrong, and they
consider how a decision will affect other people’s feelings. Thinking types
(T) tend to rely more on logic and be very objective in decision making.
4. Judging versus perceiving: The judging versus perceiving dimension
concerns an individual’s attitudes toward ambiguity and how quickly a
person makes a decision. People with a judging preference like certainty
and closure. They enjoy having goals and deadlines and tend to make
decisions quickly based on available data. Perceiving people, on the other
hand, enjoy ambiguity, dislike deadlines, and may change their minds
several times before making a final decision. Perceiving types like to gather
a large amount of data and information before making a decision.

The various combinations of these preferences result in 16 unique personality
types. There are a number of exercises available in print and on the Internet that can