MARCH 2025BUSINESSMANAGEMENTREVIEW.COM8LEADERSHIP THROUGH ASSESSMENT: THE KEY TO HIGH ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCEBy Tina Downing, Senior Director and Lead of AIS Business Solutions, Russell InvestmentsTina Downing is the Senior Director and leader of Russell Investments' Advisor & Intermediary Solutions Business Consulting group. With 34 years in financial services, Tina has transitioned from a successful advisor to a strategic consultant, focusing on business planning, practice optimization, and leadership development. Her expertise in critical thinking, program management, and executive consulting supports advisors and firm leaders in enhancing their practices.Through this article, Tina emphasizes that effective leadership goes beyond mere management and compliance, focusing instead on mentoring and coaching to foster growth and inspire excellence. Understanding individual behavioral styles and intrinsic motivators is crucial for aligning roles with strengths and enhancing productivity.Leadership is pivotal in setting the tone, direction, and operational standards that drive an organization toward sustained high performance. Building a strong culture, empowering employees, and clearly setting, communicating, and reinforcing expectations are essential. However, leaders often focus too much on managing employees--ensuring compliance with rules and procedures. While management is crucial, it alone won't fuel long-term success. Instead, mentoring and coaching must become integral to daily leadership practices, fostering growth and inspiring excellence.Effective coaching and employee development hinge on understanding each individual's behavioral style and intrinsic motivations. By recognizing these elements, leaders can align roles and responsibilities with employees' natural strengths while communicating expectations and feedback in a manner that resonates with them.A common mistake is projecting our own assumptions about what drives success onto others. For example, in the financial industry, it's often assumed that advisors are primarily motivated by money. However, this oversimplification overlooks the diverse factors that truly inspire and sustain high performance.UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIORAL STYLES When coaching and developing teams, I focus on four key communication styles: dominant, influential, steady, and compliant. Each style offers unique strengths and poses distinct challenges within an organization. The goal is for employees to bring their authentic selves to work. When forced to adapt excessively, employees may experience declines in productivity and engagement.Dominants are task-oriented and thrive in fast-paced environments where results are the priority. They take ownership and drive progress with urgency, but their direct nature can sometimes come off as aggressive. When working with a dominant, be brief and direct in communication, ensuring their focus aligns with organizational goals.Influencers excel in collaborative settings, bringing optimism, creativity, and strong teamwork to the table. However, they may struggle with details and focus. When working with influencers, understand their perspective and offer positive, constructive feedback. Help them prioritize tasks and set clear deadlines.Tina Downing
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