Shyamal Majumdar: Are you a shark or teddy bear?

Corporate trainers say there are owls, foxes and turtles as well and all of them can be useful depending on the context

You have heard the following adjectives for leaders: authoritative, democratic, coercive or pacesetters. But corporate trainers in India are now taking inspiration from the animal world to put tomorrow's leaders in different buckets. So don't be surprised if after a session, your trainer starts describing you as either a shark, or an owl, fox, turtle or even a teddy bear, depending on your response to potential conflict situations.

Some of the descriptions are self-explanatory since we all know the traits of these animals, but it's important to know that each characteristic has its own utility in varying degrees. So put them to use in appropriate situations.

The "shark", for example, forces others to accept his way, oblivious to needs or feelings of others. He believes conflicts are settled by one person winning and one person losing. The shark wants to win and he will fight at any cost to do so. A common perception is that a shark can't be a good leader beyond a point since he will carry insurmountable stress as he wants to be in control at all times. But hold on. There is a counterpoint. He can be useful in situations in which quick, decisive actions are vital; or in situations in which unpopular actions need implementing.

Now, let's take the owl type. He confronts openly and fairly and is optimistic about conflict resolution and begins discussions by identifying the wishes of both his and others. He is not satisfied till a solution is found that helps both. When he talks, he may come on strong, but when you talk, he is listening carefully and sympathetically. If you have an "owl" within you, chances are you belong to the tribe of the most favoured for a leadership position. He is invaluable when there is a need to find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised and there is a need to gain a buy-in for a decision. In situations in which issues are strong and divisive but people truly need each other, an owl-like approach is called for.

The fox is the compromising type. He is a deal-maker who gives a little and takes a little but doesn't get very far in strengthening the relationship. He will give up some goals if you give up some of yours. He is in many ways similar to the owl, but is less optimistic about a conflict leading to an improved relationship. When he talks, he is diplomatic but persuasive. When you talk, he is trying hard to figure out some compromise. A fox is invaluable when opponents have equal power and are willing to come to a mutually exclusive objective or there is a need to arrive at immediate decisions under time pressure. If the stakes are low or high enough for both parties to give up something important to keep the peace, being a compromising fox can be just what the doctor ordered.

The turtle type is the one who will withdraw into his shell till the storm passes. He believes it is hopeless to try to resolve conflict and, therefore, avoids people and issues that may cause conflict. He also feels helpless to gain his goals and refuses to cooperate with others in gaining theirs. He neither talks nor listens and you won't even get a chance to discuss things with him. Your first reaction would be to reciprocate in full measure and avoid turtles. But even turtles can be useful in situations in which an issue that has come up is trivial or potential disruption outweighs the benefits of resolving the dispute. Or, if the management needs time for the situation to cool off and get more information. A turtle-like approach can also be right if there are more important issues pressing and you have limited time.

Finally, the teddy bear. More than anything else, the teddy bear wants others to like and accept him. He is quick to accommodate others and ignore his own need because he believes asking others to meet his needs will harm the relationship. When he talks, everything sounds just fine. When you talk, he is listening and agreeing with everything you say. A teddy bear is useful when there is a need to allow subordinates to develop by learning from their mistakes; or there is a need to build goodwill for issues that can come up in future; or your company has systems that are not exactly employer-friendly; or where working towards a common purpose is more important than any peripheral concerns. The problem, however, is that a teddy bear who is always willing to go that extra mile can be taken advantage of very easily.

Human resources experts, however, say it would be a mistake to bracket your leaders into these buckets and form a general opinion about them. That's because many leaders choose their mode of behaviour depending on the situation. In some cases, the same leader may be doing all of these (sharking, owling, foxing, turtling or teddy bearing) depending on who he is dealing with at any given point of time. For, each of these approaches, when used in appropriate circumstances, can be ways to minimising inter-personal damage.