You must understand each member of your team and manage each one according to his or her peculiarity. Human beings are different and have distinct personalities. This perspective becomes important when leading teams, as each team member is different, and to optimise performance from each one, there must be specificity in handling everyone, especially based on their peculiarities. The greatest symphony conductors don’t treat every instrument the same way. They understand that a violin requires a different touch than a trumpet and that a piano needs different timing than a drum. The music emerges not from uniformity but from the masterful coordination of distinct voices, each contributing its unique sound to create something beautiful together.
Phil Jackson, the legendary basketball coach who won eleven NBA championships, understood this principle better than most leaders. When he coached the Chicago Bulls, he didn’t manage Michael Jordan the same way he managed Dennis Rodman. Jordan needed intellectual challenges and competitive fuel. Rodman needed creative freedom and unconventional motivation. Scottie Pippen required steady confidence-building and a clear role definition. Jackson’s genius wasn’t in having one leadership style; rather, it was in having eleven different approaches for eleven different personalities, all orchestrated toward one championship goal. He needed to do this because the optimisation of each one’s potential is dependent on individual management.
The same principle applies in corporate boardrooms and factory floors. When Andy Grove was building Intel into a technology powerhouse, he developed what he called “management by walking around”, but it wasn’t just about visibility; it was about customisation. Grove understood that his engineering teams needed different motivation than his sales teams, that his introverted programmers required different communication styles than his extroverted marketers, and that his experienced veterans needed different guidance than his ambitious newcomers. It is a wrong approach to handle all members of your team in a similar manner. Your input in all of them may be the same, but you must never expect the same output because the processors, which in this case are the individuals, have different specifications; hence, the speed of processing will also differ.
This computer analogy hits at the heart of leadership reality. Every person on your team comes with different “specifications”. They come from different backgrounds, they have different learning styles, different motivational triggers, and different communication preferences. Feed the same information to ten different people, and you’ll get ten different responses, not because some are better than others, but because they process it differently. Reed Hastings didn’t use a one-size-fits-all leadership approach to manage Netflix’s transformation from DVD-by-mail to streaming giant. His content team was full of creative personalities who thrived on artistic freedom and big-picture vision. His technology team was packed with analytical minds who needed detailed specifications and logical frameworks. His business development team consisted of relationship-builders who were energised by human connections and deal-making dynamics.
Oprah Winfrey’s leadership of her media empire is another example of how talents are managed differently. She managed seasoned television producers differently from how she managed emerging talent. Her veteran producers got broad creative freedom and minimal oversight because they had proven their judgement. Her newer team members received more structured guidance, frequent check-ins, and detailed feedback. This wasn’t favouritism but pure wisdom. She understood that experience levels require different management approaches. Since personalities differ, responses to counsel and tasks given are also going to be different. Leaders may need to spend more time with certain individuals in their team than with other members of the team. This is because talents and abilities are not the same, and a great leader must be conscious of this.
This individualised approach extends to communication styles as well. Some team members need detailed written instructions and time to process before responding. Others prefer quick verbal exchanges and immediate feedback. Some learn best through visual demonstrations and hands-on experience. Others absorb information through detailed explanations and theoretical frameworks. The practical application of this principle requires leaders to become students of human nature. They need to observe how each team member responds to different types of communication. They must pay attention to who performs better with tight deadlines and who needs extended planning time. This doesn’t mean they need to become a psychologist, but it does mean they need to become genuinely curious about what makes each person on their team tick. The investment in understanding individual differences pays dividends in improved performance, higher engagement, and stronger team cohesion.
When each person is managed according to their strengths and motivated according to their personality, the entire team performs at a higher level. The introverts are energised by the extroverts. The detail-oriented people support the big-picture thinkers. The steady performers provide a foundation for the high-risk innovators. The leaders who master individualised management discover something powerful, which is that when people feel understood and managed according to their strengths, they don’t just perform better but also become more committed to the team’s success. They don’t just complete tasks but also contribute ideas. They don’t just follow directions but also take the initiative. Your team is not a machine with interchangeable parts. It’s an orchestra with unique instruments, each requiring different techniques to produce its best sound. Master the art of individual management, and you’ll create music that’s more beautiful than any single instrument could produce alone.
Oluwole Dada is the General Manager at SecureID Limited, Africa’s largest smart card manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria.
