--- title: "Communication Styles in the Workplace: Flexible Leaders | PPS International" description: "Communication styles in the workplace: what they are, the cues that show leaders need more flexibility and how talent development teams build it." image: https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/pps-resource-fc9c6a68176788eddf11.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/developing-flexible-leaders#main-content) [![PPS International Limited](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/raw_assets/public/pps-international/assets/images/logo.svg)](https://www.ppsinternational.net/) [Expertise](https://www.ppsinternational.net/expertise) [Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/leadership-development) [Talent Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/talent-development) [Communication & Influence](https://www.ppsinternational.net/communication-influence) [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) [Sales & HR Effectiveness](https://www.ppsinternational.net/sales-hr-effectiveness) [Performance Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/performance-support) [Implementation Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/implementation-support) [Solutions](https://www.ppsinternational.net/solutions) [Assessments](https://www.ppsinternational.net/assessments) [Contract Training & Facilitation](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contract-training-facilitation) [Coaching Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/coaching) [Instructional Design Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/instructional-design) [Interaction Styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) [Training Administration](https://www.ppsinternational.net/training-administration) [Training Programs](https://www.ppsinternational.net/programs) [Shop](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/) [Resources](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources) [About](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) [About PPS](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) [Who We Serve](https://www.ppsinternational.net/who-we-serve) [Get in touch](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contact) Search the site Search Search the site Search Expertise [Explore all expertise](https://www.ppsinternational.net/expertise) [Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/leadership-development) [Talent Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/talent-development) [Communication & Influence](https://www.ppsinternational.net/communication-influence) [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) [Sales & HR Effectiveness](https://www.ppsinternational.net/sales-hr-effectiveness) [Performance Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/performance-support) [Implementation Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/implementation-support) Solutions [Explore all solutions](https://www.ppsinternational.net/solutions) [Assessments](https://www.ppsinternational.net/assessments) [Contract Training & Facilitation](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contract-training-facilitation) [Coaching Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/coaching) [Instructional Design Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/instructional-design) [Interaction Styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) [Training Administration](https://www.ppsinternational.net/training-administration) [Training Programs](https://www.ppsinternational.net/programs) Explore [Resources](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources) [About PPS](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) [Who We Serve](https://www.ppsinternational.net/who-we-serve) [Shop](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/) [Get in touch](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contact) Article [Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources?topic=leadership-development) [Interaction Styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources?topic=interaction-styles) April 1, 2026 # Communication Styles in the Workplace: How to Build Flexible Leaders Communication styles in the workplace are the habitual ways people take in information, make decisions and relate to others. Some want details before a decision and others want the decision first. Some want a few minutes of conversation before the business at hand, and others see that conversation as a waste of their time. None of these preferences is a problem on its own. The difficulty comes when a leader has one way of communicating and uses it with everyone. Research tells us that nearly three out of four people we work with have preferences different from our own, so a leader who does not adapt is mismatched with most of the people they work with. This article describes the styles leaders encounter, the cues that show a leader population needs more flexibility and the approach we use with clients to build that flexibility through [Interaction Styles®](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles). It is written for talent development professionals and the leaders of leaders who see the cost of inflexibility in their organizations, and it is useful reading for any manager who wants to be more effective with the people around them. ## What communication styles in the workplace are, and what they are not A communication style is a set of preferences. It is not a verdict on someone's personality. It shows up in observable behavior including how quickly someone speaks and decides, how much detail they want before they are comfortable making a decision for instance, whether they lead with the task or with the relationship and how much they express in a meeting. Because these behaviors can be observed, they can be recognized by others and, with practice, adapted to. Many models describe workplace styles. Some label four styles by their behavior, such as analytical, functional, intuitive and personal communicators. Others come from assessments such as Everything DiSC by Wiley, Insights Discovery or our own *Interaction Styles®*. The four-way division that appears in many articles, passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive, describes assertiveness rather than style, and it is a useful reminder that leaders are generally expected to be assertive whatever their preferences. The models have commonality in that each one gives leaders a shared vocabulary for noticing differences and a way to plan their approach rather than reacting in the moment. Keep in mind that styles describe preferences under ordinary conditions. In our experience, most people become a more pronounced version of their preferred style under pressure, which is often the moment a leader most needs to notice what is happening and adjust. With our Interaction Styles model, we describe what we call "Styles Under Stress," which describes behavior stress patterns. These stress patterns help individuals to not only adapt to others, but confirm their preferred style. ## The four Interaction Styles, in brief *Interaction Styles®* were originally developed by Lockwood Leadership International and later refined by PPS International Limited, and they have been used for more than 30 years by organizations large and small. The model describes four styles, or patterns of behavioral preferences. Here is the short version, at the level we share in introductory sessions; the *Interaction Style Self-Profile* and its guidebook go considerably deeper into recognizing each style and adapting to it. | Style | Tends to Need or Emphasize | How It Often Shows Up | A Starting Point for Adapting | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Director | Results and decisions. | A quick pace, direct questions and little patience for detail that does not move the work forward. | Get to the point, offer options with a recommendation and be ready for a fast decision. | | Expresser | Recognition and ideas. | Energy, thinking out loud and a preference for talking things through. | Allow time for discussion, acknowledge contributions and confirm in writing what was agreed. | | Analyzer | Thinking and time to process information. | Careful questions, a request for data and a pause before responding. | Send detail in advance, be precise about the request and avoid forcing a decision on the spot. | | Relater | Relationships. | Warmth, attention to how others are affected and reluctance to push a point. | Take a moment to connect before the task, ask for their view directly and make it safe to disagree. | The goal is not to label people but to notice patterns so that leaders can communicate in ways that make it easier for others to engage, respond and follow through. Most people show a blend, with one style that is easiest to see, and the person who seems 'difficult' is very often someone whose preferences are different from the leader's own. ## Why flexibility matters more than any one style Effective leaders know there is no one best style. What matters is the ability to recognize the preferences of the person in front of them and to adapt, which the *Interaction Style Self-Profile* measures as Interpersonal Acumen, sometimes called communication style flexibility. Leaders with high acumen pay attention to the subtle needs of others and make small adjustments so that their ideas are easier to accept. They are also more effective in the critical business situations where not adapting to style differences can create the most damage: implementing change, selling ideas to peers, delivering performance feedback, negotiating with customers and delivering difficult news. Adapting does not mean becoming someone you are not. It means making intentional choices about how to communicate so that a message is easier for others to receive and act on. The habits behind it are simple to describe and take practice to build. To build competency in adapting to styles, people need - Self-awareness. Leaders need to know their own preferences and the effect those preferences have on others, particularly under pressure. - Awareness of others. Noticing how the people around them prefer to interact, from body language and speech patterns to how they open a meeting and what kind of information they ask for. - Willingness to adjust. Choosing one or two behaviors to change for a particular person or situation, rather than attempting a wholesale change of personality. ## Five cues that your leaders need to be more flexible with communication styles Many things contribute to poor flexibility, including a simple lack of skill. In our work with talent development teams, these are the cues that most often signal that a leader population needs help: 1. Individual differences keep derailing teams from being efficient and productive. The same disagreements recur with the same people, and the explanation offered is usually about personalities rather than about how the conversation was handled. 2. Rapport is strained between leaders and their direct reports, peers, customers and senior leaders. Engagement survey comments and exit interviews mention 'communication' without being specific, which is often a style problem. 3. Change messages are being delivered in ways that create additional upset and angst. A leader who prefers speed announces a change to people who need time and detail, and the conversation becomes about the announcement rather than the change. 4. Leaders spend very little time preparing for important interactions. They walk into feedback conversations, customer meetings and presentations with the content prepared and the approach left to chance. 5. Leaders miss opportunities to use the strengths of their direct reports because they do not recognize them. A quieter team member's preference for reflection reads as disengagement, or an expressive team member's energy reads as a lack of rigor. Talent development professionals often see these cues before leaders do, in the themes of 360-degree feedback, in requests to mediate conflict and in the way the same names come up in escalations. ## How leaders adapt in the moment Once leaders have a vocabulary for style, adapting becomes a matter of preparation and small adjustments. Here is the sequence we teach: 1. Plan critical interactions before they occur. A feedback conversation, a customer meeting or a change announcement deserves a few minutes of thought about who will be in the room and what they will need. For the development half of a feedback conversation, a [feedforward discussion](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/videos/video-how-to-have-a-feedforward-discussion) gives the leader a structure. 2. Observe before acting. Body language, speech patterns, the way someone opens a conversation and the type of information they ask for are all clues to preference. 3. Adjust one or two behaviors. Offer more or less detail, speed up or slow down, take a moment for conversation or skip it, ask a pointed question or an inviting one. Small adjustments are sustainable; a leader who tries to change everything at once usually reverts quickly. 4. Notice the response. If tension drops and the conversation moves, the adjustment is working. If not, try a different one. Our article on [style flexing within project teams](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/influence) works through this sequence for a project leader without formal authority, and the [*Interaction Styles Approach Matrix*](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/guides/know-3-approach-points-can-influence-just-everyone) narrows the choices to three points of focus for each style. The same skill applies upward; leaders who [adapt to their own manager's preferences](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/managing-your-manager) find it easier to get support for their teams. ## Building communication style flexibility across a leader population A single workshop rarely changes how leaders communicate. In our work with clients, communication styles for leaders are built into a longer sequence so that awareness turns into behavior. The sequence usually looks like this: | Stage | What Happens | What Talent Development Provides | | --- | --- | --- | | Assess | Leaders complete a style inventory such as the *Interaction Style Self-Profile* or the online *SOLO IS* inventory and receive a measure of their own flexibility. | Administration, a clear plan for who sees results and how they are used, and a debrief that keeps the focus on development. | | Learn | A facilitated workshop such as [*Interaction Styles in Action*](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/programs/interaction-styles-in-action), where leaders practice recognizing styles and adapting to real situations from their own work. | Cohorts that mix functions and levels, realistic cases and a facilitator who models flexibility in the room. | | Apply | Leaders take specific interactions back to the job with a plan: a difficult conversation, a customer meeting, a change announcement. | Style recognition skill cards, the approach matrix, self-paced microlearning and a follow-up conversation with their own manager. | | Reinforce | Managers of managers ask about those interactions in one-on-ones, and styles become part of team agreements and onboarding. | Coaching for leaders whose flexibility scores or feedback show the greatest need, and a refresh inside new manager and emerging leader programs. | We find the greatest application of style knowledge takes place when learning about style knowledge is embedded in programs that leaders are already attending, such as [new manager development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/case-studies/new-manager-development-a-case-study), sales readiness, team development and emerging leader programs, rather than offered as a stand-alone event. Many organizations use *Interaction Styles®* as part of their own programs in this way. As an example, in a typical year, hundreds of training and development leaders from some of the world's largest organizations in defense subcontracting, manufacturing, financial services, technology, medical device development and more access our *Interaction Style Self-Profile and Guidebook* or *SOLO IS* as they implement their own, custom-designed programs on communication, influence and sales. A global organization with three operating companies and more than 192,000 employees worldwide evaluated more than 22 behavior style profiles and chose Interaction Styles as their global standard. For more than 22 years, this organization has embedded the inventory and model into two of their most delivered programs: one on influencing skills and one on [communication skills](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/4-ways-improve-communication-workplace). Talent development leaders from these operating companies have provided feedback on the model including commenting on how easy it is to use and recall, how straightforward the model explanations are and how applicable it is across cultures and languages. ## Reading styles across distance Cues are harder to read in a video call or a chat thread than in a room. Camera framing hides body language, chat flattens tone and a quiet participant on a webinar may be disengaged or muted. A few practices help remote and hybrid leaders: - Ask about preferences directly rather than inferring them. A short shared document on how each team member likes to receive information, decisions and feedback removes much of the guesswork; our own team keeps a 'User's Guide to…' for each person that includes style preferences - Give reflective styles time. Sending materials before a meeting and inviting responses afterward includes the people who will not compete for air time on a call. - Watch for the pattern rather than the moment. Someone being quiet on one call may not indicate a certain style. Look for patterns or trends over time, if possible. If this is your first time meeting someone, align to the behaviors you pick up and err on the side of being less emotive and more task-focused, unless someone's communication style is clear to you. This is because those who have more directive, less emotive style preferences have less tolerance for others not adapting to them. Those more people and relationship focused give more leeway. Our [*Leading Interaction Styles Across Distance* infographic](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/products/interaction-styles-across-distance-downloadable-infographic) offers style-by-style suggestions, and our article on [staying connected with a remote team](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/ways-to-stay-connected-when-you-manage-a-remote-team) covers the operating rhythm around them. ## Measuring whether flexibility is improving Measuring flexibility does not need to be complicated. Here are a few indicators we look at with clients: - Interpersonal Acumen results from the *Interaction Style Self-Profile*, before the program and again after a period of application. - 360-degree feedback themes on communication and adaptability, compared across cohorts. - Engagement survey items on being heard and on manager communication, tracked for the teams of participating leaders. - Fewer escalations and mediation requests involving the same leaders. - For sales roles, conversion and retention with customers whose styles differ from the representative's own. - What participants report six months later about the interactions they planned differently and what happened. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are the four types of communication styles in the workplace? Different models name them differently. *Interaction Styles®* describes Director, Expresser, Analyzer and Relater. Behavior-based models often use analytical, functional, intuitive and personal. The passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive set describes assertiveness rather than style. The labels help to create one shared vocabulary across an organization so that leaders can talk about differences without judging them. ### How do you identify someone's communication style? Watch four things over several interactions: pace and body language, speech patterns, whether the person opens with the task or with connection, and the kind of information they ask for. Consider asking people about their styles. Most people are glad to describe how they prefer to receive information and feedback, and asking is itself a sign of flexibility. ### Should a leader change their style for every person? No. We don't believe that people can change their style. What they can change is behaviors. Adjust one or two behaviors for the interactions that matter most, such as feedback, change and customer conversations, and work with your own preferences the rest of the time. Over-adapting can read as inauthentic and is tiring to sustain until the skill becomes second nature. ### How long does it take to build communication style flexibility? Awareness and initial skill building happens during training. Behavior change takes practice and feedback. Plan to focus on communication style flexing in an intentional way for two months before it becomes more natural and less forced. ### What is the difference between a communication style and a leadership style? A communication style is how a person prefers to exchange information and relate to others. A leadership style is how they use authority and make decisions. Flexibility in communication is useful with any leadership style, because any leadership style depends on people receiving the leader's message as intended. ### How do you introduce communication styles without labeling people? Treat styles as preferences that everyone has and everyone can adapt and talk in terms of situations rather than on personalities. In our experience, the risk of labeling reduces if you focus on talking about preferences and behaviors. ## Where to start If the cues above sound familiar, introduce communication styles to those whose interactions carry the most weight, such as those leading a change, managing customer relationships or new to managing others. Have them complete an [Interaction Style inventory](https://www.soloisprofile.com/), debrief it together and choose one upcoming interaction each to plan differently. The self-paced [microcourse in influence](https://pps.conveyour.com/c/yl63tbqh2k/interaction-styles-in-action-a-beginner-s-microcourse-in-influence) is a practical starting point for individual leaders, and our [Interaction Styles page](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) describes the profiles, [tools](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) and facilitation available for programs. The facilitated workshop [*Interaction Styles in Action*](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/programs/interaction-styles-in-action) is the program most organizations start with. [Contact us](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contact) to talk through improving leader flexibility in your organization. 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