Have you ever wondered why some tasks energise you while others leave you drained? Or why certain people’s problem-solving approaches make perfect sense to you, while others leave you feeling baffled? 

In this episode of The Big Dreams Great Teams Podcast, Paula Maidens explores the fascinating world of thinking preferences and how understanding them can transform your leadership style and team dynamics.

Paula shares her journey with the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), a powerful tool that has redefined the way she leads, collaborates, and even connects in her personal life. Drawing on real-world examples from her business journey, Paula explains how the four quadrants of thinking—analytical, practical, relational, and creative—shape how we approach problems, make decisions, and communicate.

Whether you're the quick-to-act practical thinker or the big-picture creative dreamer, this episode will help you uncover your brain’s natural preferences and understand how they influence your leadership and team interactions. 

Paula also shares how stress impacts our default thinking patterns and offers practical insights on harnessing the strengths of your team’s diverse thinking styles to achieve big dreams together.

Tune in to discover how aligning your leadership style with your natural thinking preferences can unlock higher performance, joy and satisfaction for you and your team.

 

Highlights

• The four thinking modes and what they mean for your leadership.
• How to identify your natural problem-solving style and recognise blind spots.
• Tips to harness the strengths of different thinking styles within your team.  

 

Hit play now and start uncovering the secrets to becoming a self-aware, effective leader!

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who would find it valuable!

 

Chapters

[00:01] Introduction to thinking preferences and how they affect leadership

[02:22] A personal story: Navigating conflict through different thinking styles

[06:41] Revisiting the HBDI tool: What it reveals about brain preferences

[08:59] How stress shifts our default thinking patterns

[11:13] Overview of the four thinking quadrants: Analytical, Practical, Relational, Creative

[15:34] Practical applications of thinking preferences in business and leadership

[20:56] Key takeaway: Leveraging thinking differences for team success