Understanding the Decisive Behavioral Style

Cathie Leimbach • August 10, 2021

Being aware of your and your employees' primary and backup workplace behavior styles will make you a better leader. This self-awareness helps you to:

  • more quickly engage and motivate each of your employees
  • recognize your own strengths and weaknesses
  • communicate more effectively with each employee by tailoring conversations to fit their workplace behavioral style.

 

When someone’s primary behavioral work style is decisive they tend to blend a low level of emotional responsiveness with a relatively high degree of assertiveness. Individuals with this behavioral style tend to make decisions using logical analysis, weighing the pros and cons objectively. They prefer to focus on possibilities and the big picture.

 

Members of your team with Decisive as their primary work style tend to have the following strengths:

  • goal-oriented
  • achievement-driven
  • independent
  • analytical
  • conceptual
  • inventive
  • logical

 

They will take their time to concentrate and give correct answers. Challenges, variety, and change are enjoyed and keep them motivated and engaged.

 

Limitations to the Decisive work style include:

  • impatience
  • insensitivity
  • becoming bored by routine and details
  • demanding
  • blunt
  • poor listeners

 

Leaders with this Decisive style will benefit from being aware of their limitations and becoming conscious of modifying communication, practicing better listening skills, and effectively connecting with team members who have other work styles. 

 

Management effectiveness can be improved by practicing different ways of communicating with their employees. For example:

 

Rather than saying "Ok, let's just get this done now" to the team (impatient and demanding),

Do this instead. "I would like to get this completed by next Thursday. What do you need from me to reach that goal?

 

Rather than saying, "You are just not doing a good job" (both blunt and insensitive)

Do this instead using open-ended questions. "I have noticed that you have been having difficulties meeting deadlines. What has been causing you to miss deadlines? How I can help?"

 

There are challenges with the Decisive work style. These employees may find it difficult to interact effectively within their team. Because they want to get to the point quickly, they may not listen well to other team members. Their results-oriented and competitive nature can shut down the contribution of other co-workers.

 

Coaching these employees will almost always include helping them learn more effective communication strategies. Because they are logic-based and analytical, provide reasons why communicating differently with their team members will be beneficial. 

 

Make sure that they are in a right-fit position within the team. Employees with the Decisive work style make outstanding researchers and can strengthen the team by contributing their analytical perspective and objectivity. Positioned correctly, the rest of the team will value the input provided.

 

Providing feedback on the quality of their work will be motivating and keep these employees engaged. Recognize their capabilities and ideas. Give them opportunities to learn and build competencies and logical processes.

 

Because Decisive employees can become bored by routines, make sure that they are consistently challenged and able to explore new ideas and options.

What If Your Biggest Performance Problem Isn’t What You Think?

By Cathie Leimbach • May 5, 2026
What If Your Biggest Performance Problem Isn’t What You Think? When CEOs think about risk, they often focus on: Market shifts Operational issues Financial exposure But one of the biggest performance problems is far less visible: Low trust inside the organization. Nearly 30% of employees say they don’t receive clear, honest, or consistent communication from leadership. Over time, that creates doubt—about expectations, personal performance, and priorities. Employees begin to feel that their job is at risk because they aren’t getting any positive feedback. They question whether they have the tools, training, and support needed to do their jobs well. When they only hear about changes at work through the rumor mill, they feel information is being held back. And when that happens: Alignment drops Speed slows Assumptions increase Execution fractures “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” — Stephen R. Covey Trust isn’t soft. It’s a leading indicator of performance. When trust is strong: Decisions move faster Teams align quicker Change sticks When trust is weak: Everything takes longer Everything costs more And here’s the reality : Trust-building conversations are not a common leadership strength today. Yet leaders like Ken Blanchard, Stephen M.R. Covey, and David Horsager all point to the same conclusion—these are not optional skills. They are required for performance in today’s environment. Which means trust gaps are rarely about effort. They’re about conversation skills. A question to consider: Where might low-trust leadership behaviors—not lack of effort—be quietly slowing your organization down? Join Cathie Leimbach and a small group of leaders for a 45-minute Leadership Conversation – Workforce Challenges on Tuesday, May 12 at 3:00 PM ET. If trust is impacting speed, alignment , or execution in your organization, this conversation is for you. Register here Limited to a small group.

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 . We’ll explore how culture impacts performance—and what leaders can actually do about it.