[NF] NF's in leadership roles

[Sparrow]

Good or Bad? What are your thoughts on this?

 

[ItsAGuy]

I've been thrust into spates of leadership from time to time (essentially work/project related) and I've found that I'm capable of doing it... but I will say that it may not be entirely the best way or normal by any stretch of the imagination.

I have a problem with the concept of authority in general. People should do what they do because it should be done and because they're the best at doing it (or most available to do it.) Not because someone demands that they do it, or dangles a carrot in exchange for the act.

Even in a position of leadership over a project, I try to engage the other participates as equals, use as many of their ideas as makes sense, and give them some sense of ownership in the project such that they have an internalized sense of motivation to work on it. This doesn't always work (apathy being an epidemic among humans) and occasionally I end up having to do the majority of the work... but the work always gets done and it typically gets done with high quality control. I've found that trying to dictate terms may well get a few things done, but it also dramatically erodes the quality of the end product.

That's my take. As an idealist and creative and adept at imagination, I also find I'm often the one it is left to do have things that NEED doing as well... I suppose that's a form of leadership as well, albeit possibly a lonely one.

 

[Arclight]

I have been a manager on and off for the last 10 years..

I am competent as far as paper work , cost control and other boring stuff goes.

My strength is actual leadership and recognizing the strengths of my employees and putting them in roles where they will thrive, and as a result the business will thrive.

I am a pretty good leader who's subordinates want to work hard for me.

This is because I create an easy atmosphere where personality and conversation are allowed to flourish, as long as it is not at the expense of the job.

On the flip side, I take everything way too personally and stress can become a serious problem.

 

[SecondBest]

I've been in leadership positions before and I find a lot of the qualities I have as an INFP are not conducive to effective leadership. What I've done in the past is to change my normal way of functioning altogether and become something of an ISTJ (No matter what, you can't take the introvert out of me). Let me explain what I mean.

Assess the situation and make a decision - take everything one thing at a time, especially in chaotic and ever-changing environments. Effective decision making is the most important part of leadership, imo. Don't worry about the future, don't dwell on the past - focus on the moment, the task at hand, and nothing else. First priority as far as decision-making goes is considering what is best for the job. This is where the ISTJ traits come in handy. Get the job done and get it done right - that's priority number one. Second priority is the people who work under you. Is the decision I'm making and the way I'm conducting myself good for both their morale and their individual ability to get the job done? This is where NF qualities can come in handy in terms of charisma, empathy, and compassion.

So yeah, if you can combine these two ideas, I think it can work.

 

[kyuuei]

I find that the more I know the people around me, and the job itself, the more confident I am.

Make me lead a class of kids and I get a bit lost.. I'm not familiar with either kids, nor the job/role of being a teacher.

But! Give me a squad of soldiers and tell me to teach them the basics of the M4, and I'm perfectly at ease. The subject is something I am comfortable with, and I relate to the people around me.

When it comes to having one or the other, I definitely prefer knowing the information over knowing the people. I can relax and take comfort in my knowledge as long as it's there. I get a bit nervous and fumble when I lack that element.

To give an example of that, I was a team leader for the first time on a practice mission. I wasn't comfortable in that position, being new at it, so I stuck very hard to plan the squad had come up with.. to the point where when the plan fell apart, I was still sticking to it. We ended up being absolutely useless in the mission as a result. Had I been more comfortable in my knowledge of being a team leader, I would have been able to tell the plan had changed and fell apart and adapted accordingly. Live and learn.


As far as dealing with the grittier details of leadership (confrontations, etc.) I've never had a problem with going head to head with people as long as I know my grounds on doing so are well backed with information.

 

[Sparrow]

So it could be good then . Thanks for your responses guys. I was a peer amongst my team members, but then got promoted in to a leadership position which made it really hard to balance business from interpersonal relations. I learned a lot, but got way to involved with my "friends" and protecting them, the organization has also undergone many changes that were not handled correctly or efficiently. The whole thing about me being close with my co workers really bit me in the butt, and I ended up getting to \ emotionally involved. Im was new to the game I guess, and didnt have proper training or guidance, you live and you learn right! I did do really well with delegating work, problem solving, getting the job done, recognizing good qualities in each person, building team spirit, training, etc. I think I just got to close with many people on the team and it ended up causing me major stress. Next time around I will definitely handle things differently, Fe sucks sometimes.

 

[Devil Flamingo]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

I don't want anything that has anything to do with leading people or telling them what to do; I'd never be a mod / admin / manager / boss / captain / general / etc. I don't care about having people following me around or asking me what to do; use your own damn brain and lead yourself. I run my own show and I'm captain of my own boat (the Happy Boat) but none of the people in it lead me nor I them.

Why does it bug me to lead people or tell them what to do? For the same reason it bugs me to be told what to do or to have to follow someone around. XD It's like... I don't care about you enough to tell you what to do, lol. As far as I'm concerned you can jump into the river or stand in the middle of traffic dancing, it really doesn't matter to me. I have to really care about you to tell you what to do, seriously.

And I'm not really a follower. Of course, more often than not, I follow rather than lead, but only for as long as I have to or for as long as I want to do so, but I'm certainly not afraid of challenging the leader or tell them what's up if I have a problem with what they're doing. But really, when in a group, I prefer if there's no leader and everyone just follows everyone else and/or lead themselves.

So yeah, basically I could never be in a kind of work environment where you have to follow orders constantly (i.e. the military) or else give orders or lead other people all the time. I'm best suited, I think, for something like post-secondary education professor, e.g. I'm still running the show and doing my thing, but my students aren't little brainless drones lost without me. XD Best to leave them to do their own thing.

 

[Sparrow]

I have a problem with the concept of authority in general. People should do what they do because it should be done and because they're the best at doing it (or most available to do it.) Not because someone demands that they do it, or dangles a carrot in exchange for the act.

Even in a position of leadership over a project, I try to engage the other participates as equals, use as many of their ideas as makes sense, and give them some sense of ownership in the project such that they have an internalized sense of motivation to work on it.

That was my approach in the beginning as well, I did find that not everyone is receptive this style, some will criticize you for it. I guess its all about understanding that there are many different personality types in a team, and you kind of have to compromise your normal way of doing things to get through to certain people.

I've found that trying to dictate terms may well get a few things done, but it also dramatically erodes the quality of the end product.

Agreed!

 

[Arclight]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

I don't want anything that has anything to do with leading people or telling them what to do; I'd never be a mod / admin / manager / boss / captain / general / etc. I don't care about having people following me around or asking me what to do; use your own damn brain and lead yourself. I run my own show and I'm captain of my own boat (the Happy Boat) but none of the people in it lead me nor I them.

Why does it bug me to lead people or tell them what to do? For the same reason it bugs me to be told what to do or to have to follow someone around. XD It's like... I don't care about you enough to tell you what to do, lol. As far as I'm concerned you can jump into the river or stand in the middle of traffic dancing, it really doesn't matter to me. I have to really care about you to tell you what to do, seriously.

And I'm not really a follower. Of course, more often than not, I follow rather than lead, but only for as long as I have to or for as long as I want to do, and I'm certainly not afraid of challenging the leader or tell them what's up if I have a problem with what they're doing. But really, when in a group, I prefer if there's no leader and everyone just follows everyone else and/or lead themselves.

So yeah, basically I could never be in a kind of work environment where you have to follow orders constantly (i.e. the military) or else give orders or lead other people all the time. I'm best suited, I think, for something like post-secondary education professor, e.g. I'm still running the show and doing my thing, but my students aren't little brainless drones lost without me. XD

They key is not telling people what it to do.. that is not leadership.. that is being a boss.. Leaders work harder than their subordinates. You set an example and people then follow it.
You make people want it. They start to do things to serve you, not because they have to.

 

[garbage]

I work best with those who put in some effort and actually like what they're doing. I try to encourage them, give them flexibility and the freedom to be creative, give them the overall context of what they're doing, and show them where I've been where it applies to their situation.

When it "clicks," it's an upward spiral. When it doesn't, it's neutral at worst--I get more "task-oriented" with those who need to be pushed and aren't particularly driven; I have to meet people halfway.

I'm not particularly "friends" with them on a personal level, as I'd find that to be intrusive myself.

 

[Devil Flamingo]

They key is not telling people what it to do.. that is not leadership.. that is being a boss.. Leaders work harder than their subordinates. You set an example and people then follow it.
You make people want it. They start to do things to serve you, not because they have to.

XD I still don't care to set an example of any kind. Why would I want to make people want it? I couldn't care less. I don't want anyone to serve me, or have me as their role-model or what-have-you. It makes me uncomfortable.

Also, work is synonymous with "do not want" in my book; hard work even more so.

 

[Moiety]

I suck at leading because my natural tendency is to think "what gives me the right to boss these people around??". So I play the big brother part, people like me, but nothing gets done!

 

[tortoise]

This doesn't always work (apathy being an epidemic among humans) and occasionally I end up having to do the majority of the work...

I reached the pinnacle of my IT career and became a CTO. I thought I would be managing other people to do the work. However, too many times, I ended up having to do large chunks of projects myself. Now I'm getting out of IT ...

I was chairman of my children's school board. I sucked at the admin/paperwork side but I feel I was pretty good at running meetings and optimising relationships.

 

[tortoise]

I suck at leading because my natural tendency is to think "what gives me the right to boss these people around??". So I play the big brother part, people like me, but nothing gets done!

Aye

 

[tortoise]

There's a local council election candidate whose motto is 'Straight Talk, Hard Work'. I doubt very much that he is NF of any sort ...

 

[Moiety]

There's a local council election candidate whose motto is 'Straight Talk, Hard Work'. I doubt very much that he is NF of any sort ...

Certainly not NFP anyway.

 

[garbage]

Ugh, I hate bossing people around, too.

I suppose the best approach in that case is to try to guide people, rather than thinking of yourself as managing them or bossing them around. Managing is for the projects themselves (especially the detailed administrative and budgeting crap)--not the people.

Regardless, it takes an element of "I can do it, and I have something to contribute." and, in insanely extreme cases, "I trust myself on this decision." That can be difficult at times.

Of course, my lack of a "hardass" mentality also gets me into trouble when there are people I can't work with.

 

[stalemate]

People follow me, but not because I try to lead/boss them. I hate telling people what to do. I want them to do things because they want to, not because I said so. I was "development lead" of a software development team for about 2 years. Everyone thought the arrangement was great but I was miserable. I eventually threw my hands up and got my role redefined.

 

[Wonkavision]

People try to put me in leadership roles all the time, which I find absurd because I have no desire to do it and I'm no good at it.

I try to avoid it as much as possible, and when it's friends or family I flat out refuse.

When it's thrust on me by my boss I do the best I can in the situation, which unfortunately results in my boss THINKING that I'm good at it--even though I just barely got by by the skin of my teeth!

It's a fucked up cycle, and it seems like the only way to get out of it is to just perform BADLY. But it's important to me to do the best I can with whatever I have to do---so I just can't get out of it.

Right now I've got a big, shiny certificate in my cubicle for "Excellence in Leadership" even though I'm a clueless fuck!

LOL---life is absurd.

 

[Billy]

I dont really like leading people, but if there is an absence of leadership and I feel I can fill the role adequately I will step in and take control. People have asked me to stay on as a manager or as a leader in the past because I tend to try to do the right thing for everyone and for the organization. It depends where my loyalties lay, but I wont lie, they usually lay with the people I am leading, I tend to treat them as my duty, and I want to protect and defend them from possible harm. This has gotten me into hot water when I have defended a team member who was probably better off getting kicked out or fired or whatever, but to me, being a part of a team means everyone, including the weakest links. If I feel they are not good with the team, I will pull them aside on their own and try to figure out what their aims are and see f they align with the organization/teams goals, if they do not, I will try to do anything in my power to help them along on the right path.

I prefer not to be the president of anything, I hate being a spokesman, I would rather lead from the shadows like a board director or something. Much more effective and much less stress. Less glory too, but I am ok without the glory as long as the rewards are shared fairly across the board and everyone is happy and the organization is functional and works properly.

I have no problem falling into line (while its works) behind a good leader either but only if he/she is better then I am, I have to respect the person leading in order to follow. I have been in organizations where the lead was an NF, and I would say that I liked working for NFs much better then NTs and FAR better then STs. NTs/STs seem to always be the ones in leadership positions, but I find thier methods rather rigid in IME and at times kind of heartless. At least thats what working for an NT was like, working for an ST was maddening in some ways because they dont seem to know how to deal with people and make much better workers then leaders. Never worked for an SF though so I cant say much about that.