By Kate Davis

Often seen as a curiosity – interesting, but not any more strategic than the quiz in the back of a teenage magazine, personality profiling can get a bad rep.

Understanding personality differences isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s crucial for leadership success. After years of coaching executives and teams from SMEs to FTSE100 leaders, I’ve seen how personality profiling transforms both individual and team performance, often becoming the catalyst for career advancement and team excellence.

Whether you’re a “Yellow” in Insights Discovery, an ENFP in Myers-Briggs, a “Protagonist” in 16 Personalities, or somewhere in between, personality profiling tools offer invaluable insights into team dynamics and performance. While each framework has its unique approach, they all share a common goal: helping you to understand yourself and others better, and to create more effective working relationships.

I use the 5 Voices framework. 5Voices is a leadership and communication model that identifies distinct ways people naturally think, contribute, and interact within teams. Each voice (Pioneer, Connector, Guardian, Creative, and Nurturer) represents a unique perspective and set of strengths that, when understood and leveraged properly, can enhance team dynamics and organisational effectiveness for your team.

Understanding these voices and learning to speak in languages other than your own, can be the difference between career stagnation and your next promotion.

Understanding the Voices in Your Organisation

We all have each of the 5Voices in us – some are stronger and more natural to us than others. Which one are you? How about your team or your partner?

The Pioneer Voice

Pioneers are your organisation’s visionaries and drivers of change. They’re the ones who see possibilities where others see obstacles, naturally pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. Often found in senior leadership positions, Pioneers can be both inspiring and overwhelming

Superpower: Can see possibilities others miss

Challenge: Often overwhelms others with pace and intensity. ‘Winning’ is the ultimate driver.

This might be you if: You’re constantly thinking about “what’s next” and get frustrated when others don’t share your sense of urgency.

The Connector Voice

Connectors are your organisation’s relationship builders and culture creators. They naturally understand team dynamics and often serve as the emotional glue holding teams together. They excel in roles requiring strong stakeholder management and team leadership.

Superpower: Builds strong relationships effortlessly, and is great at people development.

Challenge: Struggles to make decisions that might upset others, and doubts their obvious abilities.

This might be you if: You instinctively know how others are feeling and often act as the team’s emotional barometer.

The Guardian Voice

Our Guardians of due diligence, process and protectors of resources. They bring valuable experience and careful consideration to decisions, often preventing costly mistakes. Their strategic thinking and risk awareness make them valuable senior advisors.

Superpower: Protects valuable resources and traditions.

Challenge: Can appear resistant to change, or ‘nay-saying’

This might be you if: You’re often the one asking “But have we considered…” and feel responsible for maintaining standards.

The Creative Voice

Creatives are your organisation’s innovators and problem-solvers. They think differently, challenge assumptions and often see solutions others miss. Their unique perspective makes them valuable in strategic roles and innovation initiatives.

Superpower: Generates unique solutions to complex problems. Values driven, and passionate about possibilities.

Challenge: Can get lost in possibilities without executing, and often have difficulty in expressing their ‘big picture’ ideas so that others understand them.

This might be you if: You love challenging assumptions and often see connections others miss.

The Nurturer Voice

Nurturers are the relational oil in your team. They ensure consistent delivery and maintain high standards. They are often the first to spot when someone else is upset. Their thoughtful attention to detail and process orientation makes them invaluable in operational leadership roles. They genuinely care about people’s wellbeing while ensuring tasks are completed properly. Their combination of caring personality and attention to detail makes them excellent team leaders and project managers.

Superpower: Community builders, consistency and emotional intelligence.

Challenge: Can take on too much in service of others and often fail to recognise the value they bring to the team.

This might be you if: You notice when processes aren’t followed AND when team members seem unhappy.

Leveraging Voice Understanding for Career Success

Getting That Promotion

Understand your voice’s natural strengths and how they align with senior roles.
Identify and develop partnerships with complementary voices.
Learn to “speak the language” of decision-makers who may have different voices.
Build teams that showcase your ability to leverage diverse perspectives.

Improving Team Performance

Create balanced teams with complementary voices.
Design meetings and processes that engage all voices.
Assign roles and projects based on natural strengths,
Build communication bridges between different voices.

Enhancing Your Leadership Brand

Position your voice’s strengths as leadership assets.
Demonstrate your ability to work across different voices.
Show how you’ve developed beyond your natural tendencies.
Build a reputation for inclusive leadership.

The Path Forward

Understanding different voices isn’t just about improving current performance, it’s about positioning yourself for future success. By mastering this understanding, you can:

Build stronger stakeholder relationships.
Create higher-performing teams.
Make better strategic decisions.
Position yourself as a senior leader.
Drive sustainable organisational change

Remember: Your next career move might well depend not on what you know, but on how well you understand and work with different voices. The colleague who frustrates you most today might hold the key to your success in the future.

About the author

Kate Davis is the founder of Meraki People, an organisational health consultancy specialising in team dynamics and culture change. As a 5 Voices Master Practitioner, she helps leaders and organisations harness the power of different voices to drive better performance. She is the current Paseda360 National Coach of the Year.