The Four Temperaments: Understanding Yourself, Your Team, and Your Boss

In this issue:

• Clash of the Personalities
• The Sanguine Leader: The Social Butterfly
• The Choleric Leader: The Determined Achiever
• The Melancholic Leader: The Thoughtful Strategist
• The Phlegmatic Leader: The Steady Diplomat
• In Summary: The Four Temperaments
• Applying The Four Temperaments in Leadership
• The Four Temperaments Worksheet

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Clash of the Personalities

A few years ago, I was leading a team with a mix of strong personalities.

There was the extroverted, high-energy Product Manager who loved brainstorming out loud (let’s call her Sarah), and the quiet but detail-oriented developer who preferred working alone (we’ll call him Alex). In meetings, Sarah would dominate the discussion, while Alex barely spoke. Over time, I noticed Alex growing disengaged, feeling overwhelmed, while Sarah was frustrated, feeling overworked and unappreciated.

I faced a classic leadership challenge: how do you get different personalities to work together effectively?

In this post I will discuss a classic leadership framework — The Four Temperaments — a framework that helped me understand not just my own leadership style, but also my team and my boss.

Once I adjusted my approach, our team dynamic improved dramatically. The Four Temperaments can help you become:

• More self-aware — knowing how your own temperament shapes your leadership style.
• More people aware — understanding your team, stakeholders, and even your boss to build better relationships.

Let’s dive into each temperament and see how they show up in real life.

The Sanguine Leader: The Social Butterfly

The Sanguine Leader: The Social Butterfly

Sanguine leaders are high-energy and expressive, thriving in social settings.

They love engaging with people — whether rallying a team, networking with stakeholders, or leading an exciting brainstorming session. Their…