How to uncover a leader's true motivators and values

What truly motivates a leader? Companies spend a huge amount of time and energy trying to figure this out when hiring for C-Suite roles. Unfortunately, the most seasoned executives know how to “interview well”. They say what they know you want to hear. 9 times out of 10, when that leader doesn’t work out six months later, it’s down to a fundamental misalignment of values. The CFO that presented as collaborative but turned out to be a control freak. The CEO who seemed like a natural to lead the turnaround, but struggled to make the tough calls. Uncovering a leader’s true motivators is one of the #1 keys to success in hiring an executive who will be the right fit for the reality of the role. For the leader, it’s essential self-awareness if you want to build the career that will truly motivate you. At Essenta, our Discovery Process leadership assessment identifies which of seven values are a leader’s top 3-4. We have assessed over 300 leaders this year and are seeing some very clear trends on what you can expect from a leader based on their values profile. Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting about the strengths, derailers and how to motivate leaders who have each of these values: 1. 👑 Individualism: The drive to be unique and do things differently. Innovative leaders who need to feel valued and have a real remit for change. The most special leaders you know - and the most likely to get frustrated when others question or block their vision. 2. 🎮 Political: The drive to be in control and shape the agenda. Results-oriented leaders who need to take ownership and make the decisions that count. Natural at taking charge, they can become control freaks under pressure or when they feel sidelined. 3. 🌍 Economic: The drive to be successful and build a legacy. Ambitious leaders who need to see a return on their investment and progress in their career. Commercially minded, they can become distracted by what others think of them and optimise for the wrong things. 4. 🏠 Traditional: The drive to have conviction and a system for living your life. Principled leaders who need to draw on what they know to be right. Consistent and steady, they can become very stubborn when their beliefs are confronted. 5.💡Theoretical: The drive to build knowledge and understanding. Expert leaders who need to understand the world around them. Curious at heart, they can get lost in the weeds and find it hard to think on their feet. 6. 📏 Aesthetic: The drive to improve things and find form, balance and harmony. Structured leaders who need to bring order to the chaos around them. Borderline perfectionists, their frustrations will take center stage when things just don't make sense to them. 7. ❤️ Altruistic: The drive to see the good in people and be of service to others. Humanistic leaders who need to give back and feel deep loyalty in their relationships. Genuine and generous, they struggle to hold others accountable and set boundaries. Which values are in your top 3?

Most leaders think they need to be the smartest person in the room. (They're actually killing their team's potential) I see it everywhere: 🔴 Leaders answering every question, 🔴 Solving every problem, 🔴 Making every decision. Meanwhile their teams sit quietly, waiting for instructions. After working with 50+ leadership teams, here's what I've learned: The leaders who build unstoppable teams don't showcase their own brilliance. They create conditions where others discover theirs. 🟢 They ask better questions instead of giving all the answers 🟢 They create space for others to shine instead of hogging the spotlight 🟢 They see potential where others see problems The 5 ways exceptional leaders unlock their team's hidden strengths: 1) Ask "What Do You Think?" Before Sharing Your Opinion → Most Leaders: Jump straight to solutions to show competence → Great Leaders: Create thinking space before offering direction ↳ This builds confidence and reveals insights you'd never see alone 2) Delegate the Outcome, Not Just the Task → Most Leaders: "Here's exactly how to do this" → Great Leaders: "Here's what success looks like, how would you approach it?" ↳ People discover strengths they didn't know they had 3) Celebrate Their Wins Louder Than Your Own → Most Leaders: Take credit for team success in public → Great Leaders: Spotlight individual contributions in front of others ↳ Recognition fuels more breakthrough performance 4) Create Stretch Assignments That Scare Them (A Little) → Most Leaders: Keep people in safe, predictable roles → Great Leaders: Push comfort zones with support systems ↳ Growth happens in the gap between current ability and potential 5) Ask "What Would You Do If You Were Me?" → Most Leaders: Keep strategic thinking to themselves → Great Leaders: Invite others into leadership decisions ↳ This develops next-generation leaders while revealing hidden talent - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The transformation is remarkable: Teams that don't just execute...they innovate. People who don't just follow...they lead from wherever they sit. Organisations that don't just survive disruption...they create it. 💡What's one way you've helped someone discover a strength they didn't know they had? ♻️ Repost to help others in leadership positions ♻️ • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 📌 Follow me, Asif Ahmed for more insights 📌 Accounting, Tax, Strategic Finance, ERP & CRM ✒️ Specifically for: Fast Scaling venture-backed founders & CFOs

Most leaders are failing and don't even know it. Credit to: Daniel Hartweg Follow him for more leadership insights. Original post below: You think you're leading. You're actually limiting. Here's the brutal truth nobody's telling you: Your leadership style is either unlocking your team's potential or destroying it. There's no middle ground. I see it everywhere: → Leaders who hesitate and call it "being thoughtful" → Leaders who micromanage and call it "quality control" → Leaders who avoid decisions and call it "collaboration" Meanwhile, their teams are: ❌ Burned out ❌ Disengaged ❌ Quietly job hunting Want to know which type of leader you actually are? There are 5 leadership zones. Most leaders are stuck in the bottom 2. The top 1% operate from the top 2. Here's where YOU might be right now: 🛑 CONTROL ZONE (Where Most Leaders Die) → "Nothing gets done right unless I do it" → Your calendar is full but results are empty → You're the bottleneck everyone complains about → Your team doesn't need you to do more. They need you to trust more. ❓ DOUBT ZONE (Where Momentum Goes to Die) → "What if I'm wrong?" → Every decision takes 3x longer than it should → Reality check: Doubt is useful. Paralysis is expensive. → Your team is waiting on YOU, not the other way around 🧠 REFLECTION ZONE (The Trap of Overthinking) → You're learning but not executing → "Let me analyze this one more time" → Strategy without action = zero impact → Reality check: Stop planning. Start doing. 🤝 TRUST ZONE (Where Real Leaders Live) → You empower, not control → Their wins = your wins → "My team doesn't need me to have all the answers" → Result: Your team starts acting like owners, not employees. 🚀 IMPACT ZONE (Where Legends Are Made) → Silent execution. Massive results. → No credit-seeking. No ego. Pure movement. → You build legacies, not LinkedIn posts about leadership → Result: People don't talk about you. They talk about what you've built. Here's the part that stings: 90% of leaders think they're in the Trust or Impact Zone. Reality? They're drowning in Control and Doubt. The difference between average and exceptional leaders? Time allocation. → Average leaders: 70% in Control/Doubt,30% in Trust/Impact → Exceptional leaders: 20% in Control/Doubt, 80% in Trust/Impact 📌 Want to transform your team into a high-performing unit? Let’s talk about how I can support your team’s evolution. → Explore each signature program and see how they can elevate your growth—take a closer look!

Most leaders are failing and don't even know it. Credit to: Daniel Hartweg Follow him for more leadership insights. Original post below: You think you're leading. You're actually limiting. Here's the brutal truth nobody's telling you: Your leadership style is either unlocking your team's potential or destroying it. There's no middle ground. I see it everywhere: → Leaders who hesitate and call it "being thoughtful" → Leaders who micromanage and call it "quality control" → Leaders who avoid decisions and call it "collaboration" Meanwhile, their teams are: ❌ Burned out ❌ Disengaged ❌ Quietly job hunting Want to know which type of leader you actually are? There are 5 leadership zones. Most leaders are stuck in the bottom 2. The top 1% operate from the top 2. Here's where YOU might be right now: 🛑 CONTROL ZONE (Where Most Leaders Die) → "Nothing gets done right unless I do it" → Your calendar is full but results are empty → You're the bottleneck everyone complains about → Your team doesn't need you to do more. They need you to trust more. ❓ DOUBT ZONE (Where Momentum Goes to Die) → "What if I'm wrong?" → Every decision takes 3x longer than it should → Reality check: Doubt is useful. Paralysis is expensive. → Your team is waiting on YOU, not the other way around 🧠 REFLECTION ZONE (The Trap of Overthinking) → You're learning but not executing → "Let me analyze this one more time" → Strategy without action = zero impact → Reality check: Stop planning. Start doing. 🤝 TRUST ZONE (Where Real Leaders Live) → You empower, not control → Their wins = your wins → "My team doesn't need me to have all the answers" → Result: Your team starts acting like owners, not employees. 🚀 IMPACT ZONE (Where Legends Are Made) → Silent execution. Massive results. → No credit-seeking. No ego. Pure movement. → You build legacies, not LinkedIn posts about leadership → Result: People don't talk about you. They talk about what you've built. Here's the part that stings: 90% of leaders think they're in the Trust or Impact Zone. Reality? They're drowning in Control and Doubt. The difference between average and exceptional leaders? Time allocation. → Average leaders: 70% in Control/Doubt,30% in Trust/Impact → Exceptional leaders: 20% in Control/Doubt, 80% in Trust/Impact 📌 Want to transform your team into a high-performing unit? Let’s talk about how I can support your team’s evolution. → Explore each signature program and see how they can elevate your growth—take a closer look!

Most leaders are failing and don't even know it. Credit to: Daniel Hartweg Follow him for more leadership insights. Original post below: You think you're leading. You're actually limiting. Here's the brutal truth nobody's telling you: Your leadership style is either unlocking your team's potential or destroying it. There's no middle ground. I see it everywhere: → Leaders who hesitate and call it "being thoughtful" → Leaders who micromanage and call it "quality control" → Leaders who avoid decisions and call it "collaboration" Meanwhile, their teams are: ❌ Burned out ❌ Disengaged ❌ Quietly job hunting Want to know which type of leader you actually are? There are 5 leadership zones. Most leaders are stuck in the bottom 2. The top 1% operate from the top 2. Here's where YOU might be right now: 🛑 CONTROL ZONE (Where Most Leaders Die) → "Nothing gets done right unless I do it" → Your calendar is full but results are empty → You're the bottleneck everyone complains about → Your team doesn't need you to do more. They need you to trust more. ❓ DOUBT ZONE (Where Momentum Goes to Die) → "What if I'm wrong?" → Every decision takes 3x longer than it should → Reality check: Doubt is useful. Paralysis is expensive. → Your team is waiting on YOU, not the other way around 🧠 REFLECTION ZONE (The Trap of Overthinking) → You're learning but not executing → "Let me analyze this one more time" → Strategy without action = zero impact → Reality check: Stop planning. Start doing. 🤝 TRUST ZONE (Where Real Leaders Live) → You empower, not control → Their wins = your wins → "My team doesn't need me to have all the answers" → Result: Your team starts acting like owners, not employees. 🚀 IMPACT ZONE (Where Legends Are Made) → Silent execution. Massive results. → No credit-seeking. No ego. Pure movement. → You build legacies, not LinkedIn posts about leadership → Result: People don't talk about you. They talk about what you've built. Here's the part that stings: 90% of leaders think they're in the Trust or Impact Zone. Reality? They're drowning in Control and Doubt. The difference between average and exceptional leaders? Time allocation. → Average leaders: 70% in Control/Doubt,30% in Trust/Impact → Exceptional leaders: 20% in Control/Doubt, 80% in Trust/Impact 📌 Want to transform your team into a high-performing unit? Let’s talk about how I can support your team’s evolution. → Explore each signature program and see how they can elevate your growth—take a closer look!

Most leaders are failing and don't even know it. Credit to: Daniel Hartweg Follow him for more leadership insights. Original post below: You think you're leading. You're actually limiting. Here's the brutal truth nobody's telling you: Your leadership style is either unlocking your team's potential or destroying it. There's no middle ground. I see it everywhere: → Leaders who hesitate and call it "being thoughtful" → Leaders who micromanage and call it "quality control" → Leaders who avoid decisions and call it "collaboration" Meanwhile, their teams are: ❌ Burned out ❌ Disengaged ❌ Quietly job hunting Want to know which type of leader you actually are? There are 5 leadership zones. Most leaders are stuck in the bottom 2. The top 1% operate from the top 2. Here's where YOU might be right now: 🛑 CONTROL ZONE (Where Most Leaders Die) → "Nothing gets done right unless I do it" → Your calendar is full but results are empty → You're the bottleneck everyone complains about → Your team doesn't need you to do more. They need you to trust more. ❓ DOUBT ZONE (Where Momentum Goes to Die) → "What if I'm wrong?" → Every decision takes 3x longer than it should → Reality check: Doubt is useful. Paralysis is expensive. → Your team is waiting on YOU, not the other way around 🧠 REFLECTION ZONE (The Trap of Overthinking) → You're learning but not executing → "Let me analyze this one more time" → Strategy without action = zero impact → Reality check: Stop planning. Start doing. 🤝 TRUST ZONE (Where Real Leaders Live) → You empower, not control → Their wins = your wins → "My team doesn't need me to have all the answers" → Result: Your team starts acting like owners, not employees. 🚀 IMPACT ZONE (Where Legends Are Made) → Silent execution. Massive results. → No credit-seeking. No ego. Pure movement. → You build legacies, not LinkedIn posts about leadership → Result: People don't talk about you. They talk about what you've built. Here's the part that stings: 90% of leaders think they're in the Trust or Impact Zone. Reality? They're drowning in Control and Doubt. The difference between average and exceptional leaders? Time allocation. → Average leaders: 70% in Control/Doubt,30% in Trust/Impact → Exceptional leaders: 20% in Control/Doubt, 80% in Trust/Impact 📌 Want to transform your team into a high-performing unit? Let’s talk about how I can support your team’s evolution. → Explore each signature program and see how they can elevate your growth—take a closer look!

Most leaders are failing and don't even know it. Credit to: Daniel Hartweg Follow him for more leadership insights. Original post below: You think you're leading. You're actually limiting. Here's the brutal truth nobody's telling you: Your leadership style is either unlocking your team's potential or destroying it. There's no middle ground. I see it everywhere: → Leaders who hesitate and call it "being thoughtful" → Leaders who micromanage and call it "quality control" → Leaders who avoid decisions and call it "collaboration" Meanwhile, their teams are: ❌ Burned out ❌ Disengaged ❌ Quietly job hunting Want to know which type of leader you actually are? There are 5 leadership zones. Most leaders are stuck in the bottom 2. The top 1% operate from the top 2. Here's where YOU might be right now: 🛑 CONTROL ZONE (Where Most Leaders Die) → "Nothing gets done right unless I do it" → Your calendar is full but results are empty → You're the bottleneck everyone complains about → Your team doesn't need you to do more. They need you to trust more. ❓ DOUBT ZONE (Where Momentum Goes to Die) → "What if I'm wrong?" → Every decision takes 3x longer than it should → Reality check: Doubt is useful. Paralysis is expensive. → Your team is waiting on YOU, not the other way around 🧠 REFLECTION ZONE (The Trap of Overthinking) → You're learning but not executing → "Let me analyze this one more time" → Strategy without action = zero impact → Reality check: Stop planning. Start doing. 🤝 TRUST ZONE (Where Real Leaders Live) → You empower, not control → Their wins = your wins → "My team doesn't need me to have all the answers" → Result: Your team starts acting like owners, not employees. 🚀 IMPACT ZONE (Where Legends Are Made) → Silent execution. Massive results. → No credit-seeking. No ego. Pure movement. → You build legacies, not LinkedIn posts about leadership → Result: People don't talk about you. They talk about what you've built. Here's the part that stings: 90% of leaders think they're in the Trust or Impact Zone. Reality? They're drowning in Control and Doubt. The difference between average and exceptional leaders? Time allocation. → Average leaders: 70% in Control/Doubt,30% in Trust/Impact → Exceptional leaders: 20% in Control/Doubt, 80% in Trust/Impact 📌 Want to transform your team into a high-performing unit? Let’s talk about how I can support your team’s evolution. → Explore each signature program and see how they can elevate your growth—take a closer look!