Leadership types: a framework
Visionary, operator, systems thinker—what the heck do these mean?
A quick guide to 4 basic work types:
- My idea / My implementation
- My idea / Open on implementation
- Open on idea / My implementation
- Open on idea / Open on implementation
1) My idea / My implementation:
The classic Founder type. Critical for getting big things off the ground. Big idea with a firm opinion on how to bring it to life. However, as the organization grows, this type often struggles to transition to type 2, where they have to hand off some implementation.
2) My idea / Open on implementation:
The classic CEO type. Strong opinions about big ideas but understands that, to scale, or due to their personal gifts, others are better suited to build and scale the vision. This works powerfully when they can hand off implementation to someone in type 3.
3) Open on idea / My implementation:
The classic COO type. Ideally, they have no ego about who came up with the idea—it's all about bringing someone else’s vision to life. They thrive by focusing on how to implement ideas, relying on their experience and strong operational thinking.
4) Open on idea / Open on implementation:
Two key sub-types:
4a) Systems thinkers who love to codify, systematize, and scale existing methods.
4b) Get Stuff Done people, who are highly productive and thrive when given clear direction to focus their energy.
How it works:
- Teams often start with a 1 (founders/early-stage).
- 1s need to shift to 2 as the organization grows, or they risk becoming stagnant.
- 2 hands off implementation to 3.
- 3 brings the vision to life with 4a and 4b.
- Wild success ensues 🎉
