202107240952 Operator leadership style

In contrast to the 202107240951 Visionary leadership style who like to start new projects, Operators are most interested in finishing projects. Operators are great improvisers and can achieve the desired outcome from varied and difficult situations. Operators prefer being given clear direction even though they tend to be highly capable of motivating other people. Operators are extremely task focused which has its value and drawbacks. Operators' bias towards action can be valuable as a voice for reducing unnecessary overhead and processes.¹

Operators have trouble delegating and often rely on their team to follow their lead instead. They will often work outside the system if necessary to accomplish tasks. Operators can be seen as aggressive, ruthless mavericks that aren't good team players.

They shouldn't be micromanaged and can be defensive and conflict prone. To better manage an operator, provide clear direction and autonomy and help them with prioritization and delgation.

Examples: Sam Walton, John D. Rockefeller, and Steve Ballmer.