Focus on strengths instead of weaknesses

My responsibility trait forces me to take psychological ownership for anything I commit to. Whenever large or small, I feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. If, for some reason, I cannot deliver, I automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. I feel accountable for the success or failure of projects. I also dislike unfinished work. I can be trusted to get things done. Working with like-minded, responsible colleagues is satisfying for me. I also like to know that I have “delivered” on my commitments, so metrics and goals are important to me. Also, I like to have explicit and concrete expectations so there is no question regarding quality outcomes and so I can hit the mark as promised.

I like it when it is predictable. My world needs to be ordered and planned. I instinctively impose structure on my world. I set up routines. I focus on timelines and deadlines. I break long-term projects into a series of specific short-term plans and work through each plan diligently. Discipline is my instinctive method for maintaining progress and productivity in the face of life’s many distractions. Increasing efficiency is one of my hallmarks. I like to create systems and procedures to improve it. I like roles and responsibilities that have structure.

I believe that only action can make things happen, only action leads to performance. I think that action is the best device for learning too. I make a decision, take action, look at the result and learn. This learning informs next action and next. This is why it is important for me to work in environments where I can make my own decisions and act on them. I can transform innovative ideas into immediate action. I like to create plans to get things moving and spur others to action. I can also easily energize the plans and ideas of others.

Command trait leads me to take charge. When I develop an opinion, I like to express it. Once my goal is set, I feel restless until I have aligned others with me. I am not frightened by confrontation. On the contrary, I think confrontation is the first step towards resolution. I feel compelled to present the facts or the truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. I need things to be clear between people and challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. I also like to step up and break bottlenecks. I have a natural decisiveness to get things moving. When I remove the roadblocks, I often create new momentum and drive to success.

I tend to see potential in others. I see each individual as a work in progress, alive with possibilities. When I interact with people, my goal is to help them experience success. I look for ways to challenge them and devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. Signs of growth in others in my fuel. They bring me strength and satisfaction. I like it when my role includes facilitating growth. Teaching, coaching or managing roles are especially satisfying. I tend to see small increments of progress in others and enjoy selecting the achievements that deserve praise.

I am intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. I instinctively observe each person’s style and motivation, how each thinks and builds relationships. Because I am a keen observer of other people’s strengths, I can draw out the best in each person. I know instinctively that the secret to great teams is casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well. This helps me to build productive teams.

My mind is always looking for connections. I like to bring new perspectives on familiar challenges and suggest looking at ideas from different angles. I derive a lot of energy from when a new idea occurs to me. Others might label me as creative, original or conceptual. I thrive working in marketing or new product development roles.

I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. I am not threatened by unfamiliar information, so I might excel in a consulting role (either internal or external) in which I am paid to go into situations and pick up new competences quickly. The process of learning, not the result in particular, excites me the most.