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Everything you need to know about a Scholar

3 Lessons 15 minutes completion time

What you'll learn:

This course will cover the strengths and caution areas associated with the Reference Profile known as Scholar, the Team Type that Scholars are commonly associated with, how they balance other teams, and leadership styles most often associated with Scholars.

The Scholar leader

Scholars are analytical and methodical. So how exactly do they lead their teams to victory?

As leaders, Scholars are focused on providing the team with a validated, sanctioned template by which to measure all work. They’re highly organized, methodical and persistent; this individual will encourage their team to take time for thoughtful, careful analysis. They can often be reluctant to delegate authority or details. And they’re often cautious with decisions until all the facts are known and a well made plan has been established.

Below is a list of strengths and cautions when a Scholar is in a management role.

Leading strengths
  • Analytical
  • Provide clear directions
  • Focus on getting the job done correctly
Leading cautions
  • Cautious with ambiguity
  • Struggle with delegation
  • Has very high expectations

But it’s not just about knowing how you lead; you also should be aware of the individuals you manage and the Team Type they form. This allows you to tailor your leadership strategies based on the people you’re actually managing—and use your strengths as a Scholar to your advantage.

Let’s say you’re a Scholar who’s managing a Cultivating Team. This Team Type is on the quadrant directly opposite yours, which means you’ll generally have competing values. Don’t panic! Different personalities don’t innately lead to failure. Understanding this difference in opinions, however, is a crucial step.

Take a look below at some points of friction to be aware of. Use these to learn how you can apply your strengths and lead a team that doesn’t directly align with your Reference Profile.

Leading a Cultivating Team as a Scholar

When a Scholar is leading a Cultivating Team, they may struggle to adapt to the team’s steady highly social and flexible nature. They may encounter areas of friction, but there are ways they can help their people stretch their behavioral drives and make the team feel like magic.

Friction

Benefits

The Cultivating Team’s focus on collaboration and relationship building may clash with a Scholar’s reserved and task-focused style. The leader may become frustrated that the team is not allowing them enough time for heads-down work.

A Scholar’s desire for deliberate and methodical decisions can clash with the Cultivating Team’s desire for flexible work . It can be frustrating for team members if they feel they’re being forced into too much structure when performing their work.

Scholars may find themselves uncomfortable in new or social situations. Yet Cultivating Teams are all about an emphasis on collaboration and relationship building. A Cultivating Team can help Scholars build more comfort when it comes to those social situations.

A Cultivating Team can often shy away from conflict because they are wary of hurting each other’s feelings. Yet Scholars are methodical, task-oriented individuals. With that level of objectivity, Scholars can help coach team members to resolve conflict in a way that is strictly professional rather than personal.

Consider the benefits and areas of friction that can arise within a differently aligned team. Then come up with strategies that will help you lean into your strengths. For example, you could implement clear execution plans for important projects, outlining timelines, goals, and action items for each person since your team might struggle with execution of tasks.

So, we understand who we are, where we fit into a team, and how we can lead other teams as a Scholar. When it comes to leading, though, there is much more to consider. You also need to think about what Strategy Type your team needs to accomplish its goals.

Are you prepared to make sure your team feels like magic rather than causing constant friction? Want to learn more? Check out our two workshops around building and cultivating teams that work like a dream.

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