The more balanced you can be the more easily your colleagues will be able to relate to you. If you wear your heart on your sleeve and tend to be mercurial, your colleagues won’t know what or who to expect every time you walk through the door!

As you judge and manage a team, your team do exactly the same to you, observing how well you handle internal conflict, recruit staff, how you reward success and respond to failure.

Secondly, complete some simple diagnostic questionnaires that will provide some insight about you and your colleagues. What motivates them? How do they like to work? What style of task do they respond well to? Who works well in isolation and who works more efficiently as part of a team? Consider Honey & Mumford; Learning Styles and Belbin; Team Roles as good start points.

Once you understand and can interpret the style and preferences of those around you, you will be able to balance your behaviour whatever situation you face, provide relevant support and empathy whilst helping your colleagues to achieve your shared goals.