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.

When the Boss "Bosses People Around"

By Cathie Leimbach • August 25, 2026
This probably isn't the company you imagined building. You wanted a team that solved problems, took ownership, and helped move the business forward. Instead, somewhere along the way, you became the person who answers every question, makes every decision, and tells everyone what to do. The interruptions never end. Every day starts with a plan and ends with another list of problems that somehow became yours to solve. You work harder than ever yet still feel like you're falling behind. Another good employee resigns. Another supervisor struggles. Another improvement initiative loses momentum. You leave work mentally exhausted, wondering why everyone seems busy—but so little actually changes. Your employees feel it, too. When people learn that every decision runs through the boss, they eventually stop making decisions of their own. When leaders spend most of their time directing every task, correcting every mistake, and solving every problem, people gradually stop thinking for themselves. They become cautious instead of confident. They stop offering ideas because they're not sure anyone wants to hear them. Ownership fades. Enthusiasm disappears. The culture slowly shifts from people wanting to contribute to people simply trying to get through the day. Ironically, the more a boss has to boss people around, the less ownership employees take. Before long, leaders become firefighters instead of business builders. Instead of building the company they envisioned, they're simply trying to survive another week. The surprising news is that this cycle usually isn't caused by a lack of effort. The frustrating part is that working harder rarely fixes it. In fact, the harder many leaders push, the more dependent their people become. What feels like the solution often becomes part of the problem. Talking through your leadership challenges with others can be helpful. Ask questions of your network. Get some ideas online. Sometimes another perspective helps you see what your organizational chart or production reports don't. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You don't have to figure it all out alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic September 21. Join Cathie Leimbach and other leaders for a practical conversation about the people challenges you're facing—and leave with fresh perspectives you can put to work. Register Here

The Empty Chair Is Trying to Tell You Something

By Cathie Leimbach • August 18, 2026
An empty workstation gets your attention. What caused it should keep your attention. When attendance becomes a problem, the first response is often to review the policy, document the absence, or find someone to cover the shift. Those things may be necessary. But they don't tell you why the problem is happening. A conversation might. Instead of starting with “Why do you keep calling off?” try “I've noticed you've missed several days recently. What’s going on?” Then listen. You may hear about something outside of work. But you may also discover frustration with a supervisor, conflict with a coworker, unclear expectations, scheduling difficulties, or an employee who no longer feels valued. Understanding the reason doesn't mean ignoring attendance expectations. It means you know what you're actually dealing with. Also, look for patterns. Is absenteeism higher on one shift? In one department? Under one supervisor? Did it increase after a schedule or leadership change? Those patterns may tell you where another conversation needs to happen. Most importantly, don't wait until attendance becomes a disciplinary issue to start talking. Check in with employees. Ask what's making their work harder. Ask what they need from their supervisor. And when someone raises a concern or makes a suggestion, be sure to tell them what action you are taking or why their idea won’t be implemented. The goal isn't to eliminate accountability. It's to address problems before accountability is the only conversation left. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on September 21. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic