Accepting “Complements” - How Leaders Need Team Members with Complementary Traits

In our personal relationships, we naturally seek partners and friends that complement us. The disorganized among us seek partners that have the organizational skills we lack. The more introverted among us are attracted to the “life of the party”-types. This trait we don’t possess that someone else possesses is what initially attracts us. We admire and respect the talents in others that we would like to have ourselves. (That very same trait can later become extremely annoying, but that’s a whole different topic).

Complements In Business
As a business culture, we have a fascination with what it takes to be a great leader. We are intrigued by the mysterious qualities that set the charismatic leader apart from the task-oriented manager. We build training programs and leadership programs to transform people into powerful leaders that can do it all: nurture, hold people accountable, deliver short-term results and create a compelling vision of the future.

The 4 Learning/Leading Type
Leaders are responsible for many things. They have to build community and personal meaning (1-ness), they have to be structured and organized (2-ness), they must move people into action and develop their skills (3-ness) all the while sharing a compelling vision of the future that excites others (4-ness).

Perfection Not Needed
It is absolutely true that you have to have some level of skill in all these areas to be an effective leader. Having said that, I also believe one of the great myths of leadership is that to be a great leader, you have to be great at all of these things. To be an effective leader, you have to surround yourself with a team of people that are strong where you are weak. And, you have to be open to someone being better at something than you are. You have to be willing to gracefully accept complements.

Be Well,
Jeanine O'Neill-Blackwell
President/CEO, 4MAT 4BUSINESS

Is Your Team Complementary Enough?

Virtually every leader or manager we have assessed with the 4MAT model has a primary strength in one of the four quadrants. The stronger the skill set in one area, the more likely that there will be a lower skill level in the other quadrants. This phenomenon exists because the skills required to be effective at one set of tasks is very different than the skills required to be effective at another. When we look at the types of skills that each quadrant excels at, we see that they represent two sets of opposites. Too Much of a Good Thing? To create complementary teams, one must balance the thinking and skills of the team. Every quadrant must be represented and equally honored. When a team over-uses a particular quadrant, we see common symptoms. Think about your own team as you look at these symptoms of over-use:

Too Much 1:

• A lot of time spent trying to please many different customers.
• Sense that we talk more than we actually accomplish.
• Too much time spent trying to build consensus.
• Lots of talk about feelings and conflict.
• Unspoken conflict.
• Missed deadlines.

Too Much 2:

• More focus on what it will look like, rather than will it really work.
• Focus on the form, rather than the function.
• Missed opportunities due to over-analysis.
• Too much emphasis on the rules.

Too Much 3:

• Focus on short-term results is sabotaging long-term vision.
• Everything is numbers-driven.
• People do not feel valued.
• Ready, fire, aim!

Too Much 4:

• There is a great deal of confusion around goals and accountabilities.
• Talking a “good game” is more important than delivering results.
• Resources are spread too thin—over many priorities.
• Constantly changing things.
• No one is on the same page.

Tips for Building a High-performing, Complementary Team:

• Know your strengths and weaknesses—Everyone on the team should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and everyone else’s strengths and weaknesses. Once you are aware of this, you begin to see the composite strengths and weaknesses of the group.
• Capitalize on your strengths—Honor your strengths. Look to position each person on the team in a role that most directly honors their strengths. When every individual works from strength, the entire team gets stronger. Blur the job descriptions—think about brainpower and roles. When designing project teams, include people on the team based on role (content expertise) and brainpower (how they think).
• Compensate for your weaknesses—If you know your team is weak in Quadrant Three (implementation and action), focus on designing systems that will force you to honor the need for action. For instance, start every meeting with a status report of action items from the previous meeting. Create an agreement that every request requires a deadline and that every team member must communicate to the team any changes to deadline.

Systems drive behavior. The things we are naturally good at, we will do unconsciously. The things we are not so great at, we need systems and structure to remind us to honor them. Honor your strengths. Create systems and processes that compensate for your weaknesses.