Author: Ethan Theo

Article Contributed by Lynda-Ross Vega

Leadership is a complex skill that is difficult to pin down. Much of the research on the subject has focused on obvious traits such as command, decision making, risk-taking, etc. While these definitions capture much of what is widely recognized as leadership in business and politics, it limits leadership to one or two of the six distinct human Perceptual Styles.

On the surface, it’s true, some of these psychological styles look more like natural-born leaders than others—but leadership is not a Perceptual Style quality; it’s a human quality.

There are many definitions of ‘leadership,’ but here’s the version we prefer: Leadership is when one person points in a direction and others follow. This ‘pointing in a direction’ can be obvious or it can be subtle. Either way, here’s the thing to remember: it’s not the nature of the direction that determines leadership; it’s the existence of a reciprocal relationship between leader and follower.

People follow a leader not because that person has a certain Perceptual Style, but because they recognize—either consciously or unconsciously—that the leader possesses certain qualities:

1. Their behaviors build on their natural strengths.
2. They are aware of their limitations, and seek input from people with perspectives different from their own.
3. They are aware that any group of followers contains people who see the world differently than they do, and they find ways to communicate effectively to each of them.
4. They recognize the talents of others, and seek to build teams based on complementary skill sets and perspectives.
5. They learn how to ‘borrow’ successful leadership techniques from leaders who are different from them- and use those techniques in a way that’s all their own!

Let’s take a look at the first two of these five qualities now.

1. Their behaviors build on their natural strengths

According to the Perceptual Styles Theory, people tend to find the most satisfaction and meaning in their lives, no matter what they are doing, when their actions draw upon their natural skills. It is also true that people are most effective and efficient as leaders when they are using skills that are naturally supported by their Perceptual Style.

Effective leaders are not only aware of their own natural skills, they develop and use these skills as much as is realistic, possible, and appropriate. Not only does this contribute to personal satisfaction, it builds trust among followers.

Why? Because behavior that is in tune with a leader’s natural skills and abilities ‘rings true’ to others, while behavior that is incongruent with that person’s Perceptual Style comes off as false.

2. They are aware of their limitations, and seek input from people with perspectives different from their own.

One of the most important aspects of the Perceptual Style Theory is that everyone’s understanding of the world is limited by their Perceptual Style. While this is easy to grasp intellectually, it’s challenging to remember this in the course of daily life.

Effective leaders tend to be those who understand and accept that they have an incomplete view of the world, and actively seek the advice and counsel of others with different Perceptual Styles to help them get a handle on the big picture in all its complexity.

About the Author:

Lynda-Ross Vega: A partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., Lynda-Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and coaches build dynamite teams and systems that WORK. She is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. For free information on how to succeed as an entrepreneur or coach, create a thriving business and build your bottom line doing more of what you love, visit www.ACIforCoaches.com and www.ACIforEntrepreneurs.com.

Article Contributed by Gary Jordan

So, you’ve got something to say that you think others will find valuable. You’ve created an information based product and coaching services to enhance and optimize its value. And people are knocking down your doors to buy!

Unfortunately, while the first part may be true, without a lot of effort the second rarely is. The key to getting people to buy what you have to offer is marketing, and if you have been working on attracting people to your products and services already, you know there is no lack of vehicles available on the internet to do just that. But that’s part of the problem. There are so many ways available to let people know about what you have to offer it is difficult to know what the best one is. More to the point, there is little out there to help you discover which one is the best one for you.

Most successful internet based marketers that I know of have found their success through a hit-and-miss process that has cost them a lot of time and money. They are successful in large part because they learned from early failures and they did not let those failures dissuade them from continuing to pursue their vision. But depending on what source you read, the percentage rate of internet based businesses that fail is in the mid- to upper-90s. Clearly, many people are unsuccessful in their marketing efforts, due in large part, I believe, to the fact that they have not found their marketing ‘comfort zone’

Marketing is a complex business, but one thing I know is that it takes determination and perseverance. If you are not comfortable with the things you do to market yourself, your products, and your services, you are not going to stick with them through the inevitable failures and adjustments required to see the rewards of success. Awareness of your marketing comfort zone– what fits you and what you have to offer– is a critical component of marketing success. How you perceive the world– your Perceptual Style (PS) – has everything to do with what type of marketing will be most comfortable (and therefore most productive) for you. People do the things they are comfortable with and the things they enjoy, and when the going gets tough it is these things they return to. Integrate your marketing activities with who you are and you will discover your marketing comfort zone.

Understanding your marketing comfort zone will allow you to understand which marketing activities are best suited to you, which approaches take best advantage of your skills and talents, and what types of media present you and what you offer in the best light. In addition, when you market from your marketing comfort zone, you send a message that is consistent with who you are, and it is also integrated with your Perceptual Style. Such a message is received favorably by both clients and prospects. Discovering your marketing comfort zone requires some effort on your part to learn about and understand your PS and to study how the skills and talents it supports fit with different ways of promoting yourself in the internet marketplace. But the rewards are worth the effort.

About the Author:

Gary Jordan, Ph.D., has over 27 years of experience in clinical psychology, behavioral assessment, individual development, and coaching. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology – Berkeley. He is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. He’s a partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., a consulting firm that specializes in helping people discover their true skills and talents. For more information, visit http://www.yourtalentadvantage.com.

Article Contributed by Lynda-Ross Vega

As internet marketers, we draw people to our offerings by shining a spotlight on ourselves, our personality and our unique gifts and talents. The way we do this is by utilizing our “Spotlight Style.”

Much of what we sell is information – products and services based on what we know, and that we think will be of value to others. Our products and services carry a heavy stamp of our own distinctive personality and they ‘Spotlight’ who we are.

Each person’s Spotlight Style is unique to his skills, talents and life experience, but there are high level communalities that can be grouped together. The three Spotlight Styles we have researched are Brand Evangelist, Practical Engineer, and Trusted Advisor. These titles are a shorthand way to understanding the way that people of each style approach marketing and promoting themselves, the types of marketing tools they are comfortable using, and the manner in which they interact with both prospects and clients.

Recently a business owner with whom I was working expressed how excited she was to discover that her natural Spotlight Style supported a whole different approach to marketing than she had been pursuing. She was excited because she wasn’t really comfortable with the tools she was using, but had chosen them because that was what everyone else was using. She saw immediately that the tools highlighted for her style fit her to a tee! She did have one big concern. She was afraid that as she approached marketing in a new and different style, she would lose some of her current clients because they had bought the ‘old’ her. Her concern was based on the belief that she could only attract people who shared her Spotlight Style. She worried that many of her current clients would leave because their style would no longer match her own.

I have run into this concern before- that you can only attract and market to people like yourself.  Most often, people initially confuse style with content. In the case of our program participant, she thought that as she chose marketing methods that more accurately reflected her Spotlight Style, what she was marketing would also have to shift and that this shift would cause her to lose clients who liked the ‘old’ products and services. Here’s the great news: content will have a tendency to reflect your style, but awareness of each of the styles will allow you to create copy, products, and services designed to appeal to people with any of the three styles.

Discovering and claiming your Spotlight Style will not limit your appeal to your current or prospective clients. Quite the opposite; as you become more and more comfortable with the natural marketing tools associated with your style, both current and prospective clients will experience and respond to the inner confidence your offerings and your marketing efforts reflect. Additionally, your comfort with yourself and your own talents will lead to a level of solid integrity that will appeal to those who can benefit from what you have to offer independent of your or their style.

So, don’t let anyone tell you that you can only market to people like yourself. Discover your own Spotlight Style and let its brilliance attract all who can benefit from what you have to offer!

About the Author:

Lynda-Ross Vega: A partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., Lynda-Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and coaches build dynamite teams and systems that WORK. She is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. For free information on how to succeed as an entrepreneur or coach, create a thriving business and build your bottom line doing more of what you love, visit www.ACIforCoaches.com and www.ACIforEntrepreneurs.com.