Birth Order - Understand How It Affects Your Personality

"Know thyself" is a powerful principle that leaders, managers and effective people intuitively know.

When you understand your own strengths and preferences you are in a position to maximise those strengths and compensate for any weaknesses either by working differently or surrounding yourself with people with different strengths.

Most of us have a dominant birth order personality that matches our birth position. But that personality is influenced by variables such as temperament, gender and other family circumstances. So it is not so much where you are born in your family but how you function that counts. How a person functions generally correlates with birth position.

Your birth order personality relates both to your working style (i.e. how you work and what motivates you) and also your relational style (i.e how you relate to people). For many people that means working along different birth order lines. For instance, I am in the youngest in my family by seven years, which means I am like a functional first born. So I work like a first-born (achievement-oriented, ambitious and like to be in control) but I relate like a youngest (very good at outsourcing to others and a poor decision-maker). It sounds complicated but it is not.

Birth order theory outlines four types of personalities- first borns, second borns, only's and youngests. If you were 3rd of six children then circumstances would have meant that you either functioned predominantly like one of the big four above.

Here are the four birth order types and some of their characteristics:

First borns ? the leaders, the drivers and the responsible types. These people like to manage others but first they need to manage themselves. They love to feel in control and can feel uncomfortable with surprises or feeling out of their depth. They are conservative in their outlook, which is both a strength and a weakness. Their ability to focus on a goal and their propensity to organise others means they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.

Their tendency toward perfectionism can mean they can be low risk-takers but they can be the rock around which organisations can be built. Approval of authority is important for this group so don't expect them to rock the boat too much. First borns, above all else, want to forge ahead.

Second borns ? the 'people' people, the compromisers, and the flexible operators. They are likely to motivated by a cause and will enjoy working alongside people. They will often choose tasks or even a job that will give them a feeling of belonging. Friendships are important to this group so they will learn to get along and will help keep the peace in a group or organisation. They often need others to drive them but they are the glue that holds groups together. Relationships are important to this group so make sure they included in all activities. Seconds, above all else, put people first.

Only's ? the quiet achievers, the finishers, they expect nothing less than the best. This group will raise the bar for everyone around them as nothing but the best will do. Their great strength is their ability to work for long periods of time on their own so they make great project finishers and strategic thinkers but they can be secretive and don't deal well with conflict. Recognition is important to this group. Only's, above all else, aim to please.

Youngests ? the initiators, ideas people and the challengers. This group are the creative, live-for-the moment types who can put some fun and verve into activities. While the message for first borns is to lighten up it seems that this group need to take things more seriously sometimes. Great initiators and very impatient doers, they perservere to get something started but often are not the greatest of finishers. This group will often do anything to be noticed so make sure you pay heed to their efforts. Youngests, above all else, will blow your mind.

Which birth order personality do you most closely resemble? Does it match your birth order position? In reality, you probably nodded your head for some characteristics in each position. But which did you nod most vigourously while reading? That will give you an indication of your dominant birth order personality.

So what is the point? Know thyself and know the circumstances you are working in. There are times when your birth order personality should take over but there are times when you may need to operate or work like someone in another position. This may make you feel uncomfortable but you can do it.

I have a set of badges ? one for each position ? which I wear for different occasions and different jobs. Sometimes I need to be more like a first born particularly when I need to take a lead. But there are also times that I must act like a second born and learn to compromise and be more diplomatic than take a crash and burn approach. When it is time to take action and throw caution to the wind I will wear my youngest born badge.

Birth order knowledge is simple as it is intuitive but it is also powerful because as Kevin Leman author of The New Birth Order Book maintains, the affects ?. "can touch you in profound and sometimes disturbing ways years after you think you have grown beyond all that."

Michael Grose is a leading authority on birth order and its affects on personality. He is the author of the ground-breaking book 'Why first borns rule the world and last borns want to change it' published by Random House. You can obtain this book from the shop at http://www.parentingideas.com.au. Find out how you can get Michael to help your people unleash the power of their birth order personalities at http://www.michaelgrose.com

---

Leadership Tips From My Dad

Lee (L.B.) Weiss (Sept. 21/25 ? April 30/82)My dad has... Read More

Are You Playing or Practicing Leadership?

Anne was a new supervisor, and like many new supervisors... Read More

Lessons In Leadership: What Not To Do... From A Canoe!

When it comes to fishing, my husband takes the lead.... Read More

Leaders ARE; Are you?

Identity CrisisIt's not only the knowledge you carry around in... Read More

In Leadership, The Eight Ways Of Right Action (Part 2)

In Part 1, I said that leaders who can't have... Read More

7 Excellent Ways To Improve Your Leadership Skills!

Did you know that there are 7 really effective yet... Read More

Dont be Afraid to Lead!

In most aspects of human activity, the pendulum of fashion... Read More

Leadership - Passion, Purpose, Profit - Its Not That Hard

Go to any educational institution, look at airport bookshelves, shopping... Read More

Ten Ways Women Can Visualize Themselves As Leaders

Women should not be afraid of or feel guilty about... Read More

The Leadership Talk As A Living Hologram

The hologram is a three-dimensional photograph made on a flat... Read More

Ten Qualities Of A Great Leader - Plus 1

Great Leaders are optimists first and foremost. Their tendency is... Read More

Learn How to Lead People

"Who rules or guides or inspires others"Having excellent guide skills... Read More

Secrets of Creating Success with Ease

Do you ever strum your fingers on the desk top... Read More

Leadership: 9 Universal Laws

1. The Law of Authoritarian StyleAuthoritarian leaders lead by control... Read More

Leadership Skill Training

Quality leadership is a positive asset that is needed in... Read More

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George... Read More

Top Skills Of Extraordinary Leaders

1. Good Communicator. Extraordinary Leaders are those who can take... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 4, Quiet Participants

There are many reasons why someone would decline to participate... Read More

Be the Samurai Sword

Relationships are constantly facing crisis. Everywhere we look people are... Read More

Unleash It!

On airplanes, in restaurants, in the newspaper and on television,... Read More

Value Driver Leadership

CHAPTER 1 ************ VALUEThose qualities regarded by a person or... Read More

Thoughtleading: The Art of Separating Yourself from the Pack

Lately the age-old business dilemma of how to stand out... Read More

Your Ultimate Leadership Feedback Loop: Their Leadership

Life on our planet flourishes through feedback. If life forms... Read More

Leadership Activity: How Leadership Agenda, Strategy, and Behaviors Shape Your Success!

"Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether... Read More

Top 25 Leadership Quotations

Ponder what it takes to be a true leader with... Read More

Pure Discipline

General George S. Patton was born on November 11, 1885... Read More

Beyond Authority: Debunking the Top 3 Leadership Myths

Have you noticed that across the business world people are... Read More

The Greatest Leaders Are Often The Worst Leaders

It's a common occurrence, a CEO leads a company to... Read More

Why You Should Ignore This Advice

Doesn't make too much sense does it? Am I really... Read More

Benefits of Leadership Skill Training

DESCRIPTION CMOE's Leadership Skill Training addresses a wide range of... Read More

Leaders Click It? Into Gear!

"Click It" Into Gear!Ever wonder how two people can be... Read More

Leadership and The Dirty Work

The airline, Jet Blue, has been featured in many magazines... Read More

Leadership: Wisdom of the Ages

If you gather 100 experienced leaders together to share with... Read More