Behavioral Styles Can Make or Break Your Team

Cathie Leimbach • August 2, 2021

Do you ever experience this? Teams that aren’t effective, even though the members are talented. Conversations that go off track, no matter how hard you try to communicate. There’s one employee you can’t get through to no matter how hard you try. You are left with one question – why isn’t this working?

 

Here’s the thing. All of us have our own behavioral style. How do we communicate with others? Are we productive on our own, or need to be motivated? Do we question things or follow directions? 

 

Behavioral style is a pattern of habits and behaviors that can be observed. It is how you handle tasks and interact with other people. And behavioral styles impact productivity and how each of your employees interacts with their colleagues.

 

So why does it matter? Understanding how we approach the goals and tasks in front of us versus our employees’ approach helps us be better leaders. When we build teams based upon the team members’ behavioral styles, they are stronger and more productive. Creating a culture that is sensitive to how each colleague is wired decreases misunderstandings and increases productivity.

 

There are four styles outlined below. Most of us have a primary and secondary style, with bits and pieces from other styles appearing from time to time.  We rely mainly on our primary style to achieve our workplace tasks and goals. It explains 50% of how we behave at work. We exercise our secondary style when the primary style is not achieving our desired results. Our primary and secondary styles together explain 80% of our behavior. When we understand our own style and the style of each of our employees and colleagues, we can lead and work together more effectively. 

 

The Decisive Style blends a low level of emotional responsiveness with a high degree of assertiveness. People with this work style tend to be task-oriented, know where they are going and what they want. They get to the point quickly, are pragmatic and results-oriented. Limitations include impatience, being demanding, poor listening skills, and being quickly bored by routines and details.

 

The Expressive Style blends a high level of emotional responsiveness and assertiveness. People with this work style look at the big picture, often taking fresh and creative approaches to problems. They are willing to take risks to seize opportunities. They thrive in interactive situations, and their ability to charm, persuade, excite, and inspire people can be a strong motivating factor. Limitations include being unrealistic, not detail oriented, reactive, excitable, and having a tendency to listen to feelings more than logic.

 

The Steady Style combines higher than average responsiveness with comparatively low levels of assertiveness. Individuals with this style tend to be sympathetic to the needs of others and are sensitive to what lies beneath someone’s outward behavior. They are most likely to use empathy and understanding in interpersonal problem-solving situations. Limitations include being over accommodating, avoiding conflict, and resistance to change.

 

The Analytical Style tends to take a precise, deliberate, and systematic approach to work. They usually gather and evaluate a lot of data before acting. They are self-controlled, cautious, and prefer analysis over emotion. Limitations include being too hard on themselves, critical of others, overly cautious, and indecisive without “all” of the facts. 

 

Each behavioral style contributes to your organization. Understanding yours and adapting it to meet team members where they are helps you communicate and lead more effectively. Helping your employees understand their style increases productivity, improves communication, and builds more effective teams.

The Culture Problem Most Leaders Don’t See—Until It Shows Up in Results

By Cathie Leimbach • April 28, 2026
Most CEOs don’t wake up worrying about culture. They’re focused on growth, margins, execution. But culture quietly determines all three. Because when people feel disconnected, something subtle happens: Execution slows Ownership drops Problems surface later—and cost more Nearly a third of employees describe their workplace as isolated or impersonal. That’s not just a morale issue. That’s an execution risk . And employees don’t “love” a company because of perks. They stay committed when they feel valued. When that’s missing: Effort becomes transactional Communication becomes minimal Discretionary effort disappears The data is clear—when employees feel valued: Attendance improves Conflict decreases Productivity rises This is where many organizations misfire. They try to fix culture with initiatives. But culture is shaped in daily leadership interactions —not programs. And most leaders haven’t been trained to have regular meaningful conversations. They have been promoted to people leadership positions yet not prepared for their new roles. When untrained leaders don’t get topnotch results, it’s not due to a gap in effort or potential. It’s due to a current gap in ability. What can you do about it? Where might your workplace culture be quietly affecting execution—even if performance still “looks okay”? 👉 Join our next 45-minute Leadership Conversation— Workforce Challenges . This is not a one-way webinar. We’ll explore how culture impacts performance—and what leaders can actually do about it.

What’s Really Driving Employee Detachment?

By Cathie Leimbach • April 21, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because the root causes of disengagement are easy to miss. Right now, many employees are emotionally detached from their workplaces—and a majority are still watching for their next opportunity. But this isn’t about perks or pay. It’s about something more foundational. Less than half of employees clearly know what’s expected of them. Even fewer feel encouraged to grow, connected to purpose, or heard at work. Those aren’t surface issues. They’re leadership gaps. And they show up in everyday conversations. Engagement is built—or broken—through how leaders communicate expectations, opportunities, purpose, and voice. For example: When expectations aren’t clear, people guess and stay busy—and performance suffers. When employees don’t see how their work matters, connection fades. When leaders don’t ask for employees’ perspectives, people disengage—even if they stay. These aren’t big system failures. They’re missed conversations. The good news? What causes detachment is also what fixes it. Where could clearer, more intentional leadership conversations reconnect your team? Look at your last two workplace culture or employee engagement surveys. What do they show about how well your leaders meet employee needs? Where are leaders falling short? How do these strengths and gaps affect your bottom line? How long are you willing to accept the underperformance that follows?  Your Next Step: Click here to book a free conversation with Cathie Leimbach about discovering and/or closing leadership gaps in your organization.