Leadership isn’t what most people think
How cognitive preferences shape the way people perceive leadership
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Working with executives across many industries, I’ve noticed that people rarely agree on what “good leadership” looks like. Even inside the same team, the same person can be seen as a strong leader by some and an ineffective one by others. Leadership isn’t nearly as objective as most leadership frameworks suggest.
It isn’t a set of traits or a style. It isn’t a checklist or a personality type. It’s something much simpler. Leadership is a perception that happens in the minds of the people following.
Each of us carries a mental picture of what a leader should sound like or behave like - and that picture is shaped by our cognitive preferences.
Analytical thinkers feel grounded when a leader is clear and logical.
Structural thinkers relax when a leader is steady and predictable.
Conceptual thinkers trust leaders who bring meaning and direction.
Social thinkers look for empathy and steadiness.
We interpret leadership through whatever helps our minds settle and make sense of the moment. It’s a cognitive event - a perception formed in the mind of the observer.
When leaders understand this, they can stop trying to match a checklist of traits and start paying attention to the different ways people think. Communication gets clearer. Expectations on both sides become more realistic. And the pressure to perform a certain version of “leader behaviour” disappears.
Understanding how different thinkers perceive you as a leader doesn’t just make you more effective - it also lets people feel recognized for the way their mind naturally works.
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This is from my Dec 9, 2025 newsletter. Sign up here to receive future issues.