Cardiologist Dr. Meyer Friedman and his 1974 book, Type A Behavior and Your Heart first documented his study of what he called “Type A” personalities and the link to heat disease.  This linkage was first identified when Dr. Friedman noticed the chairs in his waiting room wore out on the front of the seat and the arm rests; different than expected as patients sitting for periods of time should wear out the back of the seats.  After careful observations he noticed that these patients tended to get up frequently and ask how much longer they would have to wait.

Here is one way that Type A is described:  A competitive drive, whereby the “victim” struggles constantly against time to a number of goals which the victim themselves has accepted.

Before we go too far let’s settle one thing, Type A is nothing more than a group of strengths that, like all other strengths, can be positive or negative if not managed.  Here are some examples:

            Positive Type A Qualities                  Negative Type A Qualities

            Competitiveness                                 Self-Critical (Never good enough)

            Time Managers                                  Impatient

            Ambitious                                           Aggressive

As a leader of people with strengths, some which may be Type A personalities, here are ways to draw the most success for the person and the team from their unique strengths. I hope that you will find that the suggestions below are just plain old good leadership techniques applied to one set of strengths – those of the Type A person.

Competitiveness

Focus the competitiveness of the Type A person on doing their best at all times in all things.  Recognize their success in meetings, sales presentations, projects, or while on vacation (tell them things ran smooth while out because of their dedication before they left).

“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game.  And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.” – Michael Jordan

Focus the competitiveness of the Type A person on their strengths.  Everyone is more successful when they work within their strengths.  The Type A person will work their hardest to succeed and will succeed faster and better in their strength zone.

“The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort.” – Colin Powell

Focus the competitiveness of the Type A person on helping others succeed.  If you really want to harness the power of the competitive spirit for the betterment of your entire team, set goals for the Type A person to share their knowledge and empower others to be successful.

“Put completing fellow leaders ahead of competing with them. The whole goal of healthy competition is to leverage it for the corporate win.” John Maxwell

Time Managers

Focus the time management of the Type A person on achievable goals.  They will accept as much as you delegate and work their hardest to accomplish all of them.  Be clear on the expectations.

“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publius Syrus

Focus the time management of the Type A person on short goals that will lead to the big goals. This keeps the recognition of success coming at shorter intervals. 

“Make measurable progress in reasonable time.” – Jim Rohn

Focus the time management of the Type A person on helping someone else on the team every day.  The success of others that you helped multiples success across the team, and the Type A person will multiply their feelings of their own success.

“A day wasted on others is not wasted on one’s self.” – Charles Dickens

Ambitious

Focus the ambition of the Type A person by helping them achieve their dreams one success at a time.  Use your leadership to provide opportunities for additional responsibility after each success.  Don’t let fulfillment of your team member’s ambitions only come after years of trying or at the expense of others’ success.

“Ambition can creep as well as soar.” – Edmund Burke

Focus the ambition of the Type A person on their personal life.  Get to know them as people not just employees.  Ask them about their vacations, graduations and other personal life events.  Care and show you care.

“To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition.” – Samuel Johnson

Focus the ambition of the Type A person on helping others succeed.  In your team make the very definition of getting ahead the results of helping others get ahead of where they were to where they can go. 

“People say it’s not ambitious, but it is actually quite ambitious wanting to help people.” – Prince William