It's taken me awhile to learn this but, generally speaking there are 2 types of people. Those who prefer results and those who prefer control.
Results People
These people want to measure everything, they want to make adjustments that are measurable and then readjust. With these people, change is inevitable and constant. There is no question that they move the ball forward because their outlook is that failure is just part of the learning curve and the more they learn, the more they succeed. In a team setting this type of participant is willing to try new things and gather information that can be used in the future to better then team or organization. The decisions are calculated so that success is achieved or a valuable lesson is learned at minimal cost. These are the people you want in leadership if you want growth.
Control People
The second type of person prefers control. Results are not even a consideration. Instead, the end goal is a completely controllable situation where there are no surprises and no risks. Any potential surprise, risk or uncertainty is neutralized. In a team setting, this type of participant seeks to keep the status quo and to use any means necessary to eliminate other players who may upset the status quo. They do this because any positive or negative progress will expose their lack of progress and challenge their authority and thus disrupt their control over the situation. These are the people you want in leadership if you want a standstill, or to hold the line. You do not want them in growth situations because they will purposely foil it and chase out the results people.
