Strengths & Leadership

Domain: Executing

People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Always be sure there is a challenging aspect projects and leadership roles that they take on
• Be open about your expectations when working with them. They care about doing their best but in order to do this, they need to know the goal they are working towards.
• Challenge them to track their own progress and communicate to others what they have accomplished throughout the project

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Stamina, especially in difficult positions
• Leads by example. Individuals with Achiever are very strong and helping their peers understand how to work toward goals and make them achievable
• Strong work ethic

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Research organizations before joining. Allow yourself to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are serious and result oriented
• Realize that because of your nature, you may feel the need to work longer hours than others. Don’t force others to work as long as you just because you can push yourself that far, you can work longer hours but also keep healthy limits.
• Take time to celebrate your successes

Domain: Influencing

People exceptionally talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They want to do things now, rather than simply talk about them.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Allow them to take charge of certain projects. Make sure that their voice and opinions are heard, this will make them feel valued and become move committed to the group and future projects.
• Make sure there is always an activity or project for them to work on. They do not like to be stagnant
• Have a set plan of directions or a to do list if there are specific things that need to happen. They do not like vague direction.
• Clearly define the role given and if policies are put in place, make sure you follow through with them

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Ability to make their own decisions
• They are action oriented
• Creative and innovative

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Identify what kind of leader you are and your own personal leadership goals. Your goals may be different when you step into different leadership roles, but it is important
• Supervisors or managers may be threatened by your ability to act quickly and make decisions. Understand that others may need time to process ideas, so they don’t feel threatened.
• You tend to learn by doing. Search for experiential learning opportunities.

Domain: Relationship Building

People exceptionally talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to go with the flow. They tend to be people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• In times of change, ask an individual with this Strength what they feel like the best plan of action is
• Speak with an individual with this Strength about how they prefer to accomplish
• Allow for this individual to lead exercises and encourage them to keep morale of the organization high. Ask for feedback from this individual on how they sense others within the group are doing and emotionally feeling.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• People with this Strengths are good at handling the unexpected
• They go with the flow
• Very flexible and willing to adapt to the needs of others

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Work to understand your personal response techniques. Once you feel that you have a better grasp on them, constantly work to refine them.
• In times of stress, assist your peers in finding effective ways to cope with the pressure they experience
• Avoid positions that require structure and you feel are constantly predictable

Domain: Strategic Thinking

People exceptionally talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all of the factors that might affect a situation

Leading others with this Strength:

• Challenge this individual to prove the validity of the data they have collected
• Allow for this individual to take control of the data within the organization. This will allow for them to be more successful because the individual will see connections and patterns that others may not observe.
• Give this individual the space to ask questions so they can create more informed decisions

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Clarity to why things are the way they are
• Thinks all situations through before acting
• Logical and purposeful in their actions

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Create an action plan of how you could most effectively adapt to change when you are working with others
• Write questions down as they come to you. Try to find the answer for yourself first before asking another individual.

Domain: Executing

People strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Allow for an individual with this Strength to distribute and manage tasks of a group or committee
• Encourage this individual to participate in peer to peer activities and help others in the group in this fashion
• Encourage them to provide suggestions on how to make the group’s workplace better and more inviting for everyone in the team

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Remain flexible in a work environment but hold themselves and co-workers accountable
• Perceives how things work together, how they can connect, and can make decisions that include all different aspects.
• When a project is presented, work with the group to select and position members into necessary positions in order to maximize the efficiency of the group.

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Keep track of deadlines for all tasks and projects. Keep peers informed with progress.
• Be ready to explain that flexibility does not mean your priorities are always changing. You are just looking for better ways to accomplish these priorities.
• Be open to explaining your process. This will bring comfort for your peers, professors, or supervisors.

Domain: Executing

People exceptionally talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their lives.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Give them a project that allows for them to provide vision and purpose to the rest of the group
• Allow for individual with this Strength to have a platform to speak on the mission and values of the organization. Allow their passion to be contagious and inspiring to others.
• Communicate with this individual, check in to see if the community is living out their ideals and beliefs

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Highly ethical and mission oriented
• Passionate about aspects that reflect their belief
• Ability to make difficult, ethical decisions

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Compare an organizations mission statement to what it produces or the services it provides. Verify that guiding principles and outcomes are in consistent with each other.
• When an activity does not align with your beliefs, try to understand the beliefs and values of the other side before turning down the idea.
• Be open to accepting the ideas of others. If you can’t understand their idea, it is okay to ask them why, they may not have fully processed it, so you may need to process it with them.

Domain: Influencing

People exceptionally talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Set time aside to talk to an individual with this Strength in your organization. See if they have any recommendations or concerns about the process
• Give them a role that has to do with persuading others (such as fundraising or recruitment)
• Be aware that they are not afraid of confrontation

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Confrontational
• Shares opinions with others easily
• Is okay with pushing others to take risks

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Find a cause or organization that you believe in and support
• Be sure to always ask people for their opinions or concerns. You may come off as intimidating. This allows for you to feel more approachable by others
• Assist others in working through confrontation by giving them advice on how to calmly approach tough situations

Domain: Influencing

People exceptionally talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Leading others with this Strength:

• Allow them to lead in projects that involve public speaking or explanation.
• Create an event where they oversee facilitation. Whether it is a training for other peers or a presentation, allow for them to take charge and utilize their Strength.
• Ensure that all work is being distributed equally and under fair conditions between the various members of the team

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Easily puts thoughts and ideas into words
• Helps people make sense of their thoughts and feelings
• Forms deep and meaningful relationships

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Practice telling stories or explaining concepts out loud, even if it is by yourself. Become more comfortable with portraying ideas through word of mouth.
• Attend a conference or ask to present to an organization that you are passionate about
• Heavily prepare yourself for a presentation by practicing what you will say instead of improvising

Domain: Influencing

People exceptionally talented in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Encourage an individual with this Strength to their best and push through a project by setting an incentive at the end of a project
• Allow them to inspire others with their competitive nature
• Challenge them by turning ordinary tasks into competitive games. They may do this by creating deadlines and tasks throughout a long term project, they may break a large group into team, they may have the groups do fun silly competitive things like wear costumes or take photos – ask them for ideas because these activities may motivate your larger group to have fun and work together.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• An individual with this Strength not only pushes themself, but also pushes others to be the best they can be
• Helps others believe in their potential

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Reflect and decide if you would rather compete as an individual or as a team. This may depend on the project, the timeline, or the group that surrounds you.
• If you win, take time to understand why and how you won. If you don’t win, rather than letting it let it disappoint you, set a period of time to reflect on why you didn’t win and use it as a foundation to do better next time.
• Explain to others that your competitive nature does not mean you want to put others down. Instead, you are pushing yourself and others to strive for the best.

Domain: Relationship Building

People exceptionally talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• When joining a new group, encourage them to find connections between people, connections between this organization and past organizations they have been part of, and even connections between new projects and old projects. This will help them get motivated.
• Allow them to ask why and understand how things connect to the bigger picture
• Allow them to tell you about the connections you have made before. This is a way for them to connect with you and start seeing the bigger picture of the organization or role they are helping with. They will also love to hear about your personal connections.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Respectful, considerate, and caring due to the belief that everything happens for a reason
• Strong at understand the impact of others
• Observe and feel connections around them

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Not everyone will understand and agree with the same connections that you see
• Make sure to establish goals that will direct your path to success

Domain: Executing

People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They crave stable routines and clear rules and procedures that everyone can follow.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Allow for them to look over certain policies in order to either understand them or refine them
• Before having a meeting with an individual from this Strength, send them an agenda or talking points a day or two before the actual meetings
• Encourage them to hold their peers accountable by helping their peers create plans for getting things done, timelines, and even following up with peers that may be struggling to get things done. Not everyone gets things done the same way, but sometimes, people needs the encouragement of others to help them get it done.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Creating ways to implement policy
• Knows how to level the playing field

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Do not be afraid to be vocal about what is fair and what is not within an organization or a class. If you do not feel comfortable talking about it in front of others, stay after and talk to leaders of the organization or class about it.
• Instead of focusing on an individual's process, focus more on their results

Domain: Strategic Thinking

People exceptionally talented in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Before assigning a project to an individual with this Strength, explain how the process came about. Also help them understand the other parts of the projects that other people will be working on.
• Ensure that background information is not skipped in discussions or meetings
• Create a space for an individual with this Strength to ask questions about prior decisions

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Review the past to understand the present
• Historical frame of references
• Bases decisions off of past decisions

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Continue to read about historical events and observe why they ended the way they did
• Understand that others may not prioritize context, but you can lead discussions with others do understand the history and context behind things
• Do not be afraid to ask questions for clarification and background

Domain: Executing

People exceptionally talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate obstacles.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Give this individual time to process and think through the decisions that need to be made. Trust that they will make the best one possible.
• Do not push this individual to reveal much about themselves too quickly. They are known to being private people.
• Create a space for them to speak to you about their decision making process.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Has the ability to identify risks in any situation
• Makes the right decision, but it may take a while to come to that decision
• Anticipates obstacles

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Do not feel pressured to make decisions quickly. Communicate that you need time to think through your decisions in order to make the best one possible.
• Explain your process of decision making to supervisors or peers to help them to gain clarity and understanding

Domain: Relationship Building

People exceptionally talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Give an individual with this Strength a project that focuses on facilitating growth. A training seminar or information session.
• Create a space during meetings for celebration. Allow for individuals to talk about the good things happening and take the time to quickly celebrate their accomplishments.
• Allow the individual to be involved with interesting experiences that will help them grow, change, and improve.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Strong at seeing the potential in others
• Loves to see progress among a group and celebrate small victories
• Thrives off of the success of peers

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Plan on how to grow in your own Strengths. This plan should be detailed in regard to your skills and knowledge.
• Though you love watching individuals succeed, be careful to avoid individuals who are consistently struggling in their roles
• Make a list of individuals you have inspired. Use this as inspiration to inspire more people.

Domain: Executing

People exceptionally talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Allow for them to be on a committee that focuses on planning aspects of the club or organization
• Always be transparent in expectations and try to maintain a routine when interacting with an individual with this Strength
• Present them with a task and give them the ability to break down the task and process the way they prefer to complete it

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Follows through with promises and tasks, works systematically
• Perfectionist
• Maintains routine

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Reflect on your current time management skills. Look at where there is room for improvement
• Be open to assisting others in adding order to their lives
• Do not let mistakes dishearten you or your process.

Domain: Relationship Building

People exceptionally talented in the Empathy theme can sense other people’s feelings by imagining themselves in others’ lives or situations.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Be transparent in how you are feeling and what you need to be done. Give feedback when necessary.
• Seek out the individual with the empathy Strength when conflict arises in an organization

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Customized approaches to each situation due to their ability to form high quality relationships with others
• Clear understanding of what others in the community need

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Remember to share your feelings with others. Others may not be able to identify feelings as well as you do.
• Be careful to not overwhelm yourself with the problems of others. Remember to always give back to yourself.

Domain: Executing

People exceptionally talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Make it clear what the goals of a certain project are. Give them all of the details and goals at the beginning. People with this Strength will be more efficient working on this entire project at once.
• Work with them to set goals for the organization. Include timelines and measurements
• Allow them the independence to work on projects on their own time, in their own space, and in their own way. Trust that with this Strength, they will stay on track and follow through

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Strong at prioritization of actions
• Follows through with promises and projects
• Has discipline and encourages it in others

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Write your goals in a place that you know you will see or use every day
• Help others set realistic goals for themselves
• Try not to only be focused on goal setting for your personal life and leadership. You should also apply goal-set for your personal life.

Domain: Strategic Thinking

People exceptionally talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They energize others with their visions of the future.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Start a student organization with an individual that has this Strength. They will excel in creating a future plan and making that vision a reality.
• Oftentimes, they know what they would like to achieve in a project, however, they may need help with the process of achieving
• Allow an individual with this Strength to present future plans and inspire other members of the group

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Views all possibilities and strong and understanding best direction
• Excited about what lies ahead
• Good at painting pictures of future ideas

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Be open to asking for help from others when deciding a process to take to achieve a future goal
• Dream big, but map out what exactly you are dreaming and what you need to do to achieve that dream

Domain: Relationship Building

People exceptionally talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Allow for individuals with the harmony Strength to have opportunities to bring stability to the group
• Encourage them to ask questions one on one with others or within the group to create understanding
• Create a project that allows for this individual to facilitate an activity or a training. They will be great at finding commonalities among opinions.

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Practical in decision making
• Can see commonalities in differing opinions
• Gather all opinions before making an informed decision

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Practice how to resolve conflict without confrontation
• Always help your peers look on the practical side. This could be in classes or in organizations.
• Build a network of people with differing perspectives on subjects. This will allow you to see all sides of a situation and overall, you will make your best-informed decision or opinion.

Domain: Strategic Thinking

People exceptionally talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Leading others that have this Strength:

• Encourage their ideas in order to see a new approach to a situation
• Allow them to observe new ways of doing things within the organization
• Include them on brainstorming sessions

Important things that people with this Strength can bring to a leadership role:

• Strong at brainstorming because of their ability to look at things from many different ways
• Learns quickly because of their ability to process things
• Compiles ideas into simple concepts

Utilize this Strength in your leadership:

• Always challenge yourself to do everyday things differently
• Brainstorm ideas and write them in a journal
• Allow yourself to read new concepts in order to form your own, new ideas