Right after college, I served a term as an AmeriCorps member with Habitat for Humanity in Oakland. It’s like Peace Corps, but domestic and with one-year terms instead of two, and there was a lot of effort put into advancing our leadership skills. I am so grateful for that time – we worked hard for next to nothing, but learned so much! There are a few things from that term that come up continuously as I interface with people, and today I’m talking about one of them: the Leadership Compass.
Who This is For
If you work with humans, this is a framework that may help you understand how other people function. In my experience, this can normalize different styles in approaching projects and challenges, which at least for me cuts down on tension and anxiety when blending leadership styles.
You’ve been there – there’s that person who has a lead foot and plows ahead with little input from others, who is likely a bit of a jerk, but always gets stuff done.
There’s the person whose nose is so deep in the numbers, schedules, and nitty-gritty that you can identify them soley by the top of their head (because you’ve probably never seen their face).
There’s that person with a sweeping vision of the future that just won’t quit – in fact, you’re pretty sure they walk around with a full orchestra behind them for motivational purposes.
And there’s that person who just wants everyone to get along.
Chances are that you’ve not only met and worked with people who fall into one or more of these categories, but that you identify with them as well.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the leadership compass.
What It Is
All it is is a tool to conceptualize how you and the people around you work, hopefully saving you those fist-shaking moments of whyyyyyyyy are you so [fill in the blank]. Instead, you may shake your head and say, “ah, you’re such an East/West/North/South.” At least that’s what would happen at Habitat. It created normalcy between people with different working styles and helped us meet each other halfway.
To my knowledge, there’s no “test” you can take that tells you where you fall on the compass. This is all self-identification, so you get to place yourself! Keep in mind that you can be a combo of directions, like a NorthEast or a SouthWest, for example. Because people are complicated, right?
North
Norths are self-driven, often vocal workers who make firm decisions and tend to move forward unilaterally. They are results-oriented and motivated by specific goals and tasks.
When working with a North, keep things to the point (time is money with Norths). What’s the goal? What’s the timeline? Give them the info and set them loose. Don’t be offended if they’re terse – they’re just being efficient.
East
Big plans, big vision, long-term, creative thinkers tend to be Easts. They might prefer the term “visionary,” or “pioneer,” “artiste,” or “the next Steve Jobs.” Easts tend to be excellent at painting broad strokes and forming fluid plans that focus on a central concept, rather than physical result. Experimentation leads to innovation, so “mistakes” don’t exist so much with Easts (yee-haw). It’s all part of their path, ya dig?
Working with an East? It can feel a bit chaotic and unfocused, because there’s so much vision happening. Primordial soup. Allow the chaos to happen, just help them along by guiding it a bit. Add in some tangibles – dates, timelines, contacts, numbers – you know, the cogs that make the machine function. Even Steve Jobs had to have an accountant, right?
South
Can’t we all just get along? This is the nurturer, that person who wants everyone to be heard and for fairness to reign supreme. Everyone deserves their time to shine, and the South is going to make sure that happens. They tend to be focused on process and consensus, and their go-to phrase is often, “yes, and ….” The emotional environment of the group, and validation of each individual, are SUPER important.
If you’ve got a South on your hands, first of all – congratulations. These people grease the wheels, especially if you have lots of competing personalities on your team. Make sure to provide time and space for them to voice their opinions, though – just because they value teamwork doesn’t mean they don’t have valid perspectives of their own. Also pay attention to the emotional climate, that everyone is heard and validated.
West
Where would we be without the Wests? These people are the information superstars. They make decisions based off of data, precedent, and procedure. They analyze a given situation and are often good at pointing out potential strengths and flaws.
To meet a West halfway, refer back to facts and data with less reference to more nebulous variables like emotion. Data and precedent are an excellent languages to use with people who don’t make decisions based on feelings. Also, don’t be phased if the person comes off as blunt. They’re working off of data, and we all know that data doesn’t care how you feel.
The Balance
You’ll often notice that a functional team has a balance of individuals. You need that South to smooth out the rough edges of the Wests and Norths of the world. Lord knows we need the Wests to ground the Easts, and the Easts to drive us all into an exciting new frontier, and the Norths to get stuff done.
I’ve noticed that within individuals, there is often a blending of the compass directions in a way that suggests that different traits are linked. Many people identify as a NorthWest, for example – data driven go-getters. Or SouthEasts, who are concensus-centered imagineers.
Let me tell you, it’s SO helpful to know what your strengths are and where you will need support. What can you add to the team? If you’re a West, for example, you’re going to excel at getting the data sorted out. You’ll know that you’ll need help with humanizing that data and understanding that goals are bigger than numbers. On the other hand, if you’re an East, you’ll make for damn certain that you’re sticking with your mission statement, and you’ll also need help with logistics. We all have gifts to add, and we also need to know when and how to ask for help.
As for me, I’m smack in the middle, which I’m not sure is normal. Surprise!
Where do you see yourself?
love,
Stig.
PS. Some of this info is from memory, some of it from this awesome handout they gave us back in the day.
