How many hats do you wear as a leader and what does it cost your team?
- Christina - Spark Back Coaching
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
I have always disliked the word "weaknesses" in interview questions, feedback forms, and performance reviews. In my coaching work, I encourage people to discover and play from their strengths.
That said, there is an uncomfortable truth we often skip.
Every strength can become a pitfall if it is overused or left unmanaged. And that pitfall usually forms quietly.
Strengths keep you contently in your comfort zone. You are good at something, so you keep doing it. Again and again. Even when it no longer serves your purpose or helps you reach your goals.
I've seen highly capable leaders struggle, not because they lack skill or intent, but because they keep showing up in the same way, regardless of what the situation or the #team actually needs.
When teams hit friction, leaders often respond by doing more of the same: more coaching, more structure, more thinking, more decisions.
But teams rarely need "more of the same" leadership. They need a different approach.
Over time, I started to think of leadership mainly as your ability to adapt to the situation. How quickly and efficiently you're able to switch hats and play the role that is required of you. And, in my experience, here are the six leadership hats I see leaders wear most often:
The Coach. Leads through questions and development. Helps people build confidence and capability. Powerful for growth, but frustrating when teams need clarity or direction fast.
The Mentor. Leads through perspective and experience. Helps others see patterns and long-term implications. Valuable for sense-making, but limiting when advice replaces reflection.
The Strategist. Leads through vision and systems thinking. Connects today's #work to future direction. Essential for focus, but can feel distant if disconnected from day-to-day realities.
The Manager. Leads through structure, follow-up, and consistency. Creates reliability and accountability. Critical for execution, but stifling if structure becomes the default response.
The Decision Maker. Leads through clarity and courage. Makes the call when ambiguity creates paralysis. Necessary for momentum, but heavy-handed if speed replaces listening.
The #Culture Carrier. Leads through behavior and #values. Shapes how work feels through what is rewarded, tolerated, or addressed. Always active, often underestimated.
Based on my experience as #HR leader, my work as a leadership #coach, and well-established ideas from organizational psychology and situational leadership, I turned this into a short self-assessment tool that can help you identify your natural leadership hat.
I'm sharing the tool in PDF for free here; just click to download.
Sparking Leadership # 34: a weekly series on human-centered, sustainable #leadership. Hit the like button to share the love. Follow for real talk and practical tools. In the meantime, lead with spark!
