CHAPTER 3THE KALEIDOSCOPEDisplay Your Own Power Selectively and Strategically

In dictionary definitions of a kaleidoscope, you’ll often find references to complexity. This is an apt word to use when discussing Kaleidoscope managers. More so than the Bully or the Good, Kaleidoscopes are difficult to grasp, in large part because they shift from one persona to the next depending on the situation. Just when you think you have them figured out, they’ll shift their style and you’ll realize you really don’t know them at all.

These shifts aren’t random or a result of moodiness. Instead, they’re calculated, designed to manipulate people and situations to their advantage. The K can meet with one direct report and be all sweetness and light, then meet ...

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