How Leaders Can Adapt to Different Work Styles, According to Cicely Simpson

In a recent LinkedIn post, Cicely Simpson discusses how leaders can work effectively with people whose pace and decision-making style differ from their own. This article reports on Simpson’s advice in that post; it is journalistic coverage, not an article written by Simpson.

“Some of the hardest people to lead are the ones who work nothing like you.”

Simpson frames the challenge as one of self-awareness. She writes that she is impatient and wants work completed quickly, and says she once projected her own “pace, values, and work ethic” onto colleagues. In her view, that expectation can turn ordinary differences in how people think into unnecessary friction.

Understand the person before judging the pace

According to Simpson, some employees make decisions quickly and adjust as they go, while others need time to reflect before committing. She emphasizes that neither approach is inherently wrong. The leadership problem arises when a manager treats their own preferred process as the standard for everyone.

Her first recommendation is to learn how a colleague approaches decisions, rather than infer attitude from their timing or questions. Simpson suggests asking in a one-to-one meeting: “How do you like to work through a decision?” That question can help a manager understand what information and time a person needs.

Keep the goal clear and allow flexibility in the method

Simpson also argues that adapting to different work styles does not mean abandoning expectations. Managers can hold a clear outcome and deadline while allowing employees some choice in how to reach them. She recommends sharing decision topics and context ahead of meetings so that careful thinkers have time to prepare, while giving faster-moving colleagues a clear ask and room to act.

“Hold the standard and the deadline. Let them choose how to get there.”

In Simpson’s approach, making differences explicit is another way to reduce misunderstandings. A manager might explain that they tend to move quickly while a colleague prefers to think matters through, then discuss how both can work together. She warns that an unspoken difference in style can be mistaken for an attitude problem.

Match feedback to how people process it

Simpson’s advice extends to feedback. Some people want to discuss a concern immediately; others may need time to absorb it. She recommends asking whether the person would prefer to talk now or return to the conversation the next day. The suggestion keeps the issue on the table while recognizing that people process feedback differently.

Separate style from performance

Simpson draws a distinction between a different route to an outcome and a failure to meet expectations. Her final check for managers is whether the result is off track or whether the employee is simply working in a different way. She says leaders should maintain the bar while avoiding assumptions based only on pace.

“When people are allowed to work the way they think best, you get their best thinking.”

Simpson acknowledges that she remains impatient, but says she has learned to separate her preferences from those of the person she is leading. Her post presents that adjustment as a practical leadership skill: understand individual working styles, clarify expectations and look beyond personal pace to recognize what colleagues contribute.