As indicated by the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment, my tops strengths are Achiever, Focus, Discipline, Significance, and Analytical. There are aspects of this group that surprise me and others that do not. For example, three of my five strengths fall under the Executing theme, while none of them fall under the relationship building theme. As someone that is definitely an extrovert, I found this surprising, but then I remembered my heavy lean toward task oriented rather than relationship. This is something that I should be conscious about as I go into the field because my job relies heavily on how I relate to other people and establishing those strong relationships. However, I believe that since I am so heavily focused on executing, those relationships will be formed from the intention of getting the job done rather than cultivating relationships.
My top strength was Achiever. This honestly something that I am very proud of as I often spread myself thin across a variety of activities and jobs, so being able to say that I can make my goals a reality is really encouraging. StrengthsFinder defined the Achiever as someone that “works hard and possesses a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive.” As someone that is a full time student, working three jobs, and involved in countless organizations, this definitely rings true to me. But as a leader, I have to be reminded that this strength can also be a weakness. I can often overwork myself and be unavailable because of how busy I am. This is something I definitely need to work on because a leader should be accessible. So much of my personal leadership theory involved giving others a voice, but how am I supposed to actually implement that if constantly jumping back and forth from obligation to obligation?
The second strength of Focus is defined by StrengthsFinder as someone that can “take direction, follow through and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.” I find this rings true because I consider myself able to easily prioritize tasks, whether that is based on the urgency of the task or its importance. This is applicable in my job after graduation because I’ll be working with a large number of clients and businesses, so I have to be able to prioritize not only my time, but also certain relationships.
Discipline is my third strength. Those that are disciplined “enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.” As a type A person, this attests to my desire for structure and a specific schedule, often resulting in a booked schedule. This proves that I will be able to handle large amounts of activities and obligations. After graduation, my job entails not only reaching out to people, but scheduling appointments and meetings with them. This allows me to balance the different things I will need to complete during a given day.
The forth strength is Significance, meaning that I am “independent and prioritize projects based on how much influence they will have.” My time will often be allocated on things that matter and can make a difference. With this being said, it is important to keep in mind that just because I might not think it is important or will make an impact, doesn’t mean it will not. When leading it is important to keep open communication with people so that the importance of things is not overlooked, properly allocating the appropriate time and resources where they are needed.
Finally, my fifth strength is Analytical, referring to the “search of reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all of the factors that might affect a situation.” I consider this the ability to often step back and look at the big picture while understanding the intertwines processes and factors that affect the system as a whole. This will be useful for my job after graduation, particularly with the sales nature of the job. When relating to people but also understanding the different components that affect their situation and the factors of closing a sale.
While dissecting my different strengths, I learned that my strengths can also take form as my greatest weaknesses. This reality only proves the importance of consistent reflection and open-mindedness, constantly evaluating my situation and how it relates to others and our situations.
LDRS 4044 