I've been on a search to better understand myself and what makes me tick for most of my life. Even as a kid, I wanted to understand what I was and how that compared to others. I knew I was different, and it took quite a while for me to decide that was OK and in some ways it was really a good thing. I've never stopped wanting to know more though, and I've gotten to a level of detail now that I feel like I'm on the cusp of the next evolution of who I am to become in this life. I can almost feel the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.
I had the most fabulous conversation with a Gallup Strengths Coach, Darrell. As a part of our company's training, we all found out our top five talents as I've talked about before. Today, we talked a bit more about those top 5 and then got into how they interact with each other and how I unknowingly use one to balance another at times. Finding ways to make things work together to maximize the whole is a huge part of what I do everyday at work. It's satisfying work, and applying those same principles to myself and my development is all the more so.
Darrell pointed out one of a person's top talents usually will cause some trouble for them. Responsibility is the troublemaker for me. I tend to take on too much responsibility. Not necessarily meaning too many tasks, but the degree to which I feel responsible for things can be a bit extreme. It's been the single biggest source of stress in my entire life. I've definitely had to learn to establish boundaries, and my Strategic theme helps balance it. I've found creative ways, using Strategic, to allow myself to trust others and let go in places that make sense.
We talked more about Strategic, too. I've had to learn also to accept that my brain is wired a bit differently than most people. I think about possibilities, and I see the potential for barriers on the horizon before others 99% of the time. By the time others see the coming pothole, I'm working on or already have a solution. If I allow myself to be impatient I end up either frustrated or rushing others to catch up. Neither is productive, and if I rush to point out pitfalls to others, it can come across as negative. That's far from what I really am. Like I said, I think about possibilities ... a lot.
Every strength has an upside and a downside. It's a matter of how the strength is used. It's imperative, if any of this information is to be useful, to become more self aware and purposeful in our actions. Responsibility has the potential to be an issue for me, and Strategic can come off the wrong way. So how to I manage each to make them true strengths and not barriers to success?
The really interesting part of my conversation with Darrell came with learning more about talents number six (Command) and seven (Restorative). They certainly rounded out the collection and explained a few more things. Simply put, Command leads a person to take charge, and Restorative is a love of solving problems. Turns out that Command helps drives my Strategic talent and helps ground Responsibility. Restorative completes Strategic and makes great use of Input.
Some additional insight I learned today has to do with the three of my top five that are more drivers than than the other two. Strategic, Responsibility and Achiever all drive me to certain behaviors. Input and Learner support or enhance the actions I take. The three drivers all have one thing in common -- freedom. I like the freedom to think big thoughts and develop ideas. Being hemmed in intellectually frustrates and exhausts me. I also like the freedom to accept Responsibility for things that matter to me. Finally, I like the freedom to work in a way that allows me to accomplish things and mark them off my to-do list. This desire to be free in these ways plays a role in why I am or am not satisfied in whatever I undertake.
I believe that we are each a sum our our parts, that is our strengths and weakness and experiences. All of these themes are a part of me, and they all work together to balance each other, heighten each other and manage each other. The key is being aware of them and learning to use them all to their full capacity. Who knows where my next adventure will take me, but learning more about myself, what drives me, what satisfies me and what completes me can only make me better at anything I undertake.
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