Jane

Context

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Jane was promoted to Senior Product Manager 18 months ago, after demonstrating strong technical expertise and managing a small team. However, as the team grew, Jane started to struggle with delegation, team collaboration, and managing the diverse personalities on her team. She also experienced a decline in her confidence, particularly during meetings with senior executives. She felt like she was either micromanaging or stepping back too much, unsure of how to balance the needs of her team with those of the organization.

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The company had recently implemented a leadership development program, and Jane volunteered to participate in coaching to improve her leadership skills. As part of the program, Jane was asked to take the Big Five Personality Test to better understand her own personality traits and how they influenced her leadership style.

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The Big Five Personality Test Results

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Jane’s Big Five results showed the following:

1. Openness to Experience: High

   • Jane scored highly in openness, suggesting she was creative, curious, and open to new ideas. She enjoyed brainstorming and thinking about new product features and improvements. However, she sometimes struggled to implement these ideas into practical, actionable plans.

2. Conscientiousness: Moderate

   • Jane’s conscientiousness score indicated that she was organized but occasionally struggled with follow-through, particularly when managing complex projects that required long-term commitment. She tended to focus on short-term tasks and deadlines, but could sometimes lose sight of larger strategic goals.

3. Extraversion: Low

   • Jane scored low on extraversion, suggesting that she was more introverted, preferring to work independently rather than in large group settings. She found large meetings draining and often hesitated to assert herself in discussions, particularly when interacting with senior leaders or colleagues with strong personalities.

4. Agreeableness: High

   • Jane’s high agreeableness showed she was empathetic and a good listener, which made her well-liked by her team. However, she had difficulty giving tough feedback or making decisions that could disappoint others, which sometimes led to a lack of clarity and accountability within her team.

5. Neuroticism: Moderate

   • Jane had a moderate score for neuroticism, meaning she could become anxious in high-pressure situations but generally managed her emotions well. Still, she had a tendency to doubt herself in challenging situations, particularly when things weren’t going as planned.

 

Coaching Focus Areas

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Based on Jane’s Big Five results, the coaching sessions were structured around the following key areas:

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1. Increasing Leadership Confidence through Extraversion

• Challenge: Jane’s introverted nature meant she often avoided speaking up in large meetings, especially when interacting with senior leaders. She worried that her ideas wouldn’t be taken seriously and often deferred to more dominant voices.

• Coaching Approach:

  • Role-playing exercises were used to help Jane practice assertive communication. She was encouraged to take ownership of her ideas in meetings, starting small by contributing more frequently in team huddles before working her way up to larger cross-functional meetings.

  • Jane was also coached to develop strategies for managing energy. She was encouraged to take breaks before meetings and practice mindfulness to reduce anxiety and increase focus.

• Outcome: Over the course of coaching, Jane’s confidence improved, and she began contributing more regularly in executive meetings. Her team noticed her increased assertiveness, which positively impacted team morale and decision-making.

2. Balancing Agreeableness with Accountability

• Challenge: While Jane’s high agreeableness made her an approachable leader, it sometimes led to a reluctance to provide direct feedback or address team conflicts. This caused issues with accountability within her team, where certain members weren't taking full responsibility for their work.

• Coaching Approach:

  • Jane was coached to develop a balanced approach to feedback, one that was both empathetic and constructive. She learned how to frame tough conversations in a way that showed care for her team’s development while still holding them accountable.

  • Frameworks like SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) were introduced to guide Jane in providing clear, actionable feedback in one-on-one meetings with her team members.

• Outcome: Jane became more comfortable with giving both positive and constructive feedback. Her team members began to take more ownership of their work, and overall performance improved as a result.

3. Enhancing Strategic Focus and Conscientiousness

• Challenge: Jane’s moderate conscientiousness meant she was highly task-oriented but sometimes struggled with long-term planning and big-picture thinking. She often got bogged down in day-to-day operations and neglected broader strategic goals.

• Coaching Approach:

  • To address this, Jane was encouraged to delegate more effectively, trusting her team with day-to-day tasks so that she could focus on more strategic leadership responsibilities.

  • Time management techniques, like the Eisenhower Matrix, were used to help Jane prioritize her responsibilities and delegate more effectively, ensuring that she wasn’t overwhelmed with details.

• Outcome: Jane became more intentional about her leadership time. She delegated operational tasks to her team, freeing up her schedule to focus on strategic priorities and innovation. This shift helped her lead more effectively and with greater clarity.

4. Building Emotional Resilience with Neuroticism

• Challenge: Jane’s moderate neuroticism meant that she sometimes felt overwhelmed during periods of high stress or when her team wasn’t meeting expectations. She also tended to second-guess herself, especially in moments of conflict or uncertainty.

• Coaching Approach:

  • Jane was taught stress management techniques such as deep breathing and reframing negative thoughts, which helped her stay calm during stressful situations.

  • Additionally, coaching focused on developing self-compassion—helping Jane understand that mistakes are a natural part of leadership and that she didn’t need to have all the answers immediately.

• Outcome: Jane’s emotional resilience improved. She became more confident in her decision-making and learned to manage stress effectively, which made her a more composed leader in high-pressure situations.

 

Results and Impact

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After six months of coaching, Jane demonstrated significant improvements in several key areas:

• Increased Confidence: She was more assertive in meetings, contributing her ideas more frequently and taking on a more visible leadership role in cross-functional projects.

• Improved Team Dynamics: By giving clear, constructive feedback, Jane improved accountability within her team, resulting in better performance and fewer conflicts.

• Strategic Leadership: Jane was able to focus on long-term goals and delegate effectively, which allowed her to think more strategically about the direction of her projects.

• Enhanced Emotional Stability: She developed tools to manage stress and approach challenges with a calmer, more resilient mindset.

 

As a result, Jane’s leadership effectiveness was recognized by senior management, and she was given more responsibility, including oversight of a larger product portfolio. Her team reported feeling more supported, and their productivity increased.

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Conclusion

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This case study illustrates how using the Big Five Personality Test in leadership coaching can provide valuable insights into a leader’s personality traits, offering a framework for targeted development. By understanding her strengths and areas for improvement in traits like extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, Jane was able to refine her leadership approach, foster better team collaboration, and improve her emotional resilience. The use of the Big Five model allowed for a tailored coaching plan that helped Jane grow into a more confident, strategic, and effective leader.