PeopleSmart in Business eBook - The Platinum Rule

100
Five: On the Job
pecially, brings out his natural apprehensiveness about people. When
under duress, he may even seize control and make himself the leader—his
natural me fi rst tendency.
Consequently, the Dominant Director needs a co-worker who draws
him into the group. Dominant Directors oft en take themselves too seriously
and can benefi t from gentle reminders to take life less seriously
and laugh at themselves.
Competition motivates Dominant Directors
Because he’s so competitive, he may view himself as participating
in perpetual contests with others. Other styles may see themselves as
merely giving reports—period. Not so for the Dominant Director. His
report jockeys for position against yours. He needs to have control, so
one-upmanship can become one of his favorite games. In this extreme
Dominant Director game, he fi lls the role of the all-seeing, all-knowing
expert. Everyone else, by contrast, becomes a babbling idiot. Not a
particularly appetizing thought for the rest of us.
Dominant Directors can learn how to occasionally walk away
He can also help himself by learning when to walk away from a project
and let others assume control. Otherwise, his tendency to hold on
can frustrate the other types. People also tend to respond more favorably
to the Dominant Director when he verbalizes the reasons for his
conclusions and paces himself to project a more relaxed state. He can
also soft en his propensity for reprimanding others by tempering criticism
with healthy doses of genuinely appreciative praise. Otherwise,
about the only time you’ll hear a Dominant Director say, “Well done!”
is when he orders a steak.
Remember, people have feelings
As natural doers, they may need some help channeling their energies.
Why? Because they may have trouble distinguishing the realistic