Strength: A Definition
Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling, or behaving) x Effort Invested (building knowledge and skills) = Strength (the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance)
Input
Input x (Studying archetypes of curiosity to learn about their approaches to learning…did they have a system? How did they integrate their passion for facts into their career? Creating systems to help organize the information that I gather so I can retrieve it readily and share it.) = Consistent near perfect performance at building an expert knowledge of complex fields. Organizing information for easy retrieval and sharing.
Instinctively, you usually give good advice. Often people’s questions dictate your choice of reading materials. Whether you are studying something for the first time or revisiting a topic to refresh your memory, you enjoy reading. Making discoveries that can help others brings you much joy. Driven by your talents, you frequently use academic-sounding words to talk about your ideas or areas of expertise. You intentionally spend time broadening your vocabulary by looking up words in the dictionary and committing their meanings to memory. By nature, you amass lots of information by reading about complicated or intricate procedures, systems, or proceedings. As a result, you can describe the gradual changes that must occur to create a desired outcome. You list the required sequence of steps for a plan to work. You probably interpret things that can be difficult to understand, such as regulations, orders, policies, decisions, or problems. Chances are good that you are a wordsmith — that is, a person who works with words. With ease, you collect hard-to-understand terms and their definitions. Whether you can use these immediately or months later is of no concern. You probably realize your sophisticated vocabulary is an “open sesame” — that is, words that unfailingly bring about a desired end. You are likely to speak or write in such a manner that the condition of humankind improves in a meaningful way. It’s very likely that you intentionally build your vocabulary to include theoretical, intricate, technical, or difficult-to-understand words. For you, this is an ongoing process. Understandably, you prefer to spend time with people who recognize and appreciate your mastery of language. These individuals value the sophisticated terminology you use with ease. They are likely to ask you what a word or phrase means. These inquiries spotlight your specialized or extensive vocabulary.
By nature, you rely on your sophisticated vocabulary to outthink people. Whether speaking or writing, you interject technical or subject-specific terms to confront resistance head on or force issues into the open. This authoritarian stance puts people on notice that you are clever. At this point, individuals’ confidence levels begin to drop. Your ease with language and artful tactics signal that you are in charge. Driven by your talents, you desire to take in additional facts, data, or background information. These insights probably permit you to assist others whenever the opportunity presents itself. Because of your strengths, you are drawn to the process of gaining knowledge and skills. You long to build on what you already know. You yearn to improve on what you already can do. When you meet people who value education as much as you do, you are eager to hear about their personal or professional ambitions, intentions, or goals. Understanding what others aim to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years can be the beginning of a practical partnership or an enduring friendship. It’s very likely that you usually equate education — formal and informal — with understanding more about something today than you understood about it yesterday. Instinctively, you choose to associate with people who think big and think smart. Exchanging ideas, concepts, or theories with intelligent individuals exhilarates you. You pull together as many thoughts as possible from these animated conversations. You never know when someone’s question or suggestion will be valuable. You mentally file away or physically document these snippets — that is, small bits — of insight or wisdom for easy retrieval.
1. Cultivate and refine my reading habit. Create reading lists organized by topic and work my way through them, reading entire books.
2. Blog, tag, and bookmark when I’m learning on the net.
3. Go out of my way to share information with the people who can use it best, especially friends and family
4. Collect 100 definitive funk albums and 1000 definitive jazz recordings.
5. Deliberately increase my vocabulary by playing ‘Free Rice’, keeping a list of words I stumble across in my reading, and finding other web based tools for learning vocabulary.
6. Subscribe to six magazines: Discover, Scientific American, S.Am. Mind, Wired, MacWorld, and Make
Intellection
Intellection x (Thinking long and hard about areas that are interesting to me, important to others, or that are problems in my life. Shaping narratives about future excellence that contain a compelling intellectual subtext. Recording my thoughts and insights as I work through learning projects that I create for myself. Learning how to think with more clarity, precision, and creativity by studying philosophy, science, critical thinking and art. Writing my thoughts down to share with others. Shaping my behaviour following the intellectual discoveries that I make.) = Consistent near perfect performance at working out the nuances of intellectual problems and shaping my discoveries into digestible form.
By nature, you are an individual performer. You typically welcome opportunities to acquire knowledge and ponder ideas on your own. You often seek and find solitary places where you can think without being distracted by people or noise. Driven by your talents, you treasure opportunities to absorb knowledge and gather ideas from forward-looking thinkers. You usually read their writings, listen to their presentations, or ask them questions about the future they envision. Whenever you can conduct experiments or participate in hands-on activities, you have a much better grasp of their innovative ideas. Because of your strengths, you enjoy reflecting on what you already know and on what you want to know. Your concentration leads you to major and minor discoveries. You need ample quiet time to critically examine new information, theories, concepts, or philosophies. Wherever you go and whatever you do, your mind is seldom at rest. You consider what you have observed. You pose never-beforeasked questions. Thinking deeply about things is a necessity for you. It is not a luxury. It is not an option. It’s very likely that you traditionally want to think with visionaries. You are quite comfortable with long stretches of silence. Why? Quiet allows you and the others to mull over theories or create inventions that can alter the course of history or change the way ordinary people live. Instinctively, you prepare for important conversations or discussions by collecting lots of background information. It is not unusual for you to set aside at least five hours of quiet time each week to consider what you have discovered. You are likely to use this time to expand your thinking. A new piece of material can send you hunting for additional evidence to support your theories, concepts, or proposals.
Instinctively, you enjoy reflecting on what you already know and on what you want to know. Your concentration leads you to major and minor discoveries. You need ample quiet time to critically examine new information, theories, concepts, or philosophies. Wherever you go and whatever you do, your mind is seldom at rest. You consider what you have observed. You pose never-before-asked questions. Thinking deeply about things is a necessity for you. It is not a luxury. It is not an option. Driven by your talents, you treasure opportunities to absorb knowledge and gather ideas from forward-looking thinkers. You usually read their writings, listen to their presentations, or ask them questions about the future they envision. Whenever you can conduct experiments or participate in hands-on activities, you have a much better grasp of their innovative ideas. By nature, you have an ability to imagine what visionaries believe is possible as you read about their innovative ideas and plans. The information you acquire generally frees you to make a mental leap from this moment in time to the future that these thinkers see. Chances are good that you find it easier to befriend people when they tell you what they want to accomplish. Knowing that much, you probably read books, journals, newspapers, correspondence, or Internet sites to broaden your knowledge about their interests. When you can share information that helps people move closer to their goals, you understand each other better. It’s very likely that you tend to be a critical reader. That is, you take apart writers’ ideas and examine them bit by bit. Only then do you judge whether they have merit. Generally your scrutiny of the printed word, rather than your emotions, guides your decision-making process.
1. Create personalized advice for my friends and family based on my knowledge of strengths, happiness, and positive psychology. Help people work out problems that have an intellectual element.
2. Create a plan for learning philosophy, with careful attention to improving my own thinking about complex ideas.
3. Schedule thinking time every day.
4. Develop a system of journaling and blogs to capture my ideas and facilitate my thinking ability.
5. Develop a reading list about thinking creatively. Work my way through it.
6. Cultivate a critical perspective on jazz and popular music by reading widely, listening carefully, and writing my ideas down.
7. Find people who like to talk about the same issues that I do. Organize a discussion group around jazz, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and/or music theory and criticism. (YES!)
Maximizer
Maximizer x (discover effective ways to remind myself about the things I do best. Learn the language of excellence by studying experts on the topic: Gallup, Gardner, etc. Insist on sticking to my strengths at work and in my other pursuits. Create plans for pursuing excellence.) = Consistent near perfect performance at identifying talents in myself and others, and honing them into strengths.
Chances are good that you are an individual performer who often reflects on what you do really well. You probably give much less thought to your limitations. Why? You realize you accomplish a lot more when you hone — that is, sharpen — your talents. Instinctively, you are attracted to people who acknowledge your talents as an individual contributor. Your chances of success markedly increase when you can determine how you will solve problems, reach goals, acquire knowledge, apply your skills, or handle assignments. It’s very likely that you might be exceptionally good at detecting what makes each person unique or special. Maybe you notice the different moods, needs for information, or preferred forms of recognition for the people in your life. Armed with these insights, you may inspire certain individuals to move into action. Perhaps you realize life is more fulfilling for people who choose tasks or are given assignments that match their talents. Driven by your talents, you are likely to do your best work when someone truly recognizes your strengths. You want to be appreciated for the talents you own, the skills you possess, and the knowledge you have acquired. By nature, you invest much more time thinking about your good points than agonizing over your shortcomings. You usually proceed faster and produce better results when you build on your talents.
Instinctively, you regularly spend time pondering what you have an aptitude for doing very well. In the process, you probably discover things you need to do even better. Chances are good that you are likely to do your best work when someone truly recognizes your strengths. You want to be appreciated for the talents you own, the skills you possess, and the knowledge you have acquired. It’s very likely that you find that life is quite satisfying when you concentrate on using your dominant talents. You are likely to move much more quickly toward your goals when you practice doing what comes naturally. By nature, you customarily use your talents to advance personally and professionally. You regularly practice doing things you already do very well. You repeatedly ask yourself, “Can I do this better? Am I as good as I can be?” You probably argue that being satisfied with your past accomplishments and natural abilities is quite risky. Such thinking can cause you to drift into mediocrity. You work hard to keep this from happening. Driven by your talents, you consciously invest time and energy in understanding how your talents, skills, and knowledge contribute to your overall success and well-being. You have discovered effective ways to remind yourself about the things you do best.
1. Create my own strengths plan: update and revise it regularly.
2. Pick four or five people and help them craft their own strengths plans.
3. Set a periodic reminder to revise my strengths plan.
4. Sharpen my Maximizer thinking by crafting “good, better, best” problem solving plans.
5. Set aside time on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis to craft and revise plans.
Learner
Learner x (Creating and following learning plans to systematically learn topics of interest. Creating systems for learning that are efficient, engaging, and tailored to my strengths. Going from novice to amateur performance in an efficient way. Learning languages and other complex skill with combinations of coaching, self-study, drills, and technology.) = Consistent near perfect performance at systematically learning new domains and new skills
Chances are good that you yearn to be inspired by your work. You want experience to be your teacher. You need to feel enthused by your work or studies. You constantly acquire knowledge and skills. Whenever you study facts, ponder concepts, test theories, or sharpen your skills, you feel most alive. You are inclined to avoid people and situations that prevent you from expanding your mind. Instinctively, you prefer to register for rigorous courses of study rather than take easy classes. This often satisfies your need to do things that do not come naturally. You trust you can endure the unpleasantness and difficulties that accompany the expansion of your knowledge base, the acquisition of skills, and the conquest of deficiencies. It’s very likely that you thirst for new ideas and knowledge. Often you lose yourself in a book. You pore over the ideas contained on its pages for long stretches of time. Why? You want to absorb as much information as you can. Driven by your talents, you value education and scholarship at any level and at any age. Your thirst for knowledge causes you to explore many topics of study or specialize in one particular subject. You thoroughly enjoy opportunities to acquire additional information, skills, and experiences. By nature, you absorb all sorts of information from books, publications, or other written materials. You display a voracious — that is, never fully satisfied — appetite for knowledge. You devour the written word to savor useful facts. For you, a great day is one during which you have added new insights to your mind’s storehouse of ideas.
By nature, you prefer having quiet time to mull over ideas as well as read and examine interesting topics. Periods of uninterrupted thinking give you great pleasure. You probably excuse yourself from noisy, active, or distracting situations to thoroughly process your ideas. Driven by your talents, you have a strong need to know that you are taking the proper course of action before you begin. Without a doubt, your hunger for evidence, data, or background information is immense. Whether your sources of knowledge are people, classes, books, the Internet, or discussions, you are hardwired to be as informed as you possibly can be prior to starting most ventures. You probably prefer to be overly prepared rather than risk being poorly prepared. Chances are good that you likely are an individual performer. You usually channel your mental and physical energy into things that really intrigue you. Because of your strengths, you are an individual performer who intentionally signs up for tough classes. Your desire to excel is amplified when the only path to a good grade is a steep one. Instinctively, you acquire knowledge more easily when you can talk with others about ideas, concepts, or theories. Thoughts come alive for you when questions are posed and answers are proposed. You have a delightful time thinking out loud and listening to intelligent people express themselves. You naturally document or store in your mind bits and pieces of discussions. You want to refer back to these insights or facts whenever the opportunity presents itself.
1. Get back into school! Structure my time so that I can immerse myself in learning.
2. Pay attention and think carefully about my progress in learning musical skills. Find good teachers and use them frequently.
3. Refine how I learn through a process of journaling and reflection.
Futuristic
Futuristic x (consume a steady diet of intellectually exciting visions of the future. Share my excitement about the future by crafting vivid multimedia narratives. Hone the language that I use for the future. Seek out visionary thinkers and plumb them for inspiration and ideas. Plan the future and translate my plans into daily behavior. Think optimistically about the near future and the distant future. Help people crystallize and capture their best future selves.) = Consistent near perfect performance at energizing myself and others by creating compelling narratives of future excellence.
By nature, you naturally think about what you can fix or do better. Your mind is usually occupied by what you can accomplish in the coming months, years, or decades. This explains why you find today’s events ordinary and less fascinating than the future. Driven by your talents, you are enthusiastic about the future because visionaries describe it so clearly. Their ideas for products, medicines, or inventions generally increase your determination to do whatever you can to breathe life into their dreams. Chances are good that you have a capacity for envisioning what the coming months, years, or decades could, should, or will be like. Frequently you are prompted to transform your ideas into things you can touch, taste, see, smell, or hear. Because of your strengths, you treasure the one-on-one conversations you have with visionary thinkers. Their ideas can force you to expand on your plans for the future. Instinctively, you feel an irresistible urge to introduce yourself to outsiders and start talking with them. Why? You welcome the chance to tell one more person what you dream of accomplishing in the coming months, years, or decades. You also want the individual to like you.
Instinctively, you intentionally take steps to be the mastermind of your own future. You refuse to leave your destiny to chance. You probably resist placing it in someone else’s hands. You trust your own intelligence and imagination when setting a direction for your life. Chances are good that you regularly set aside the majority of your time to contemplate what the world could be like years or decades from today. Ideas come to you when you are in the company of visionary thinkers. These individuals often stimulate your inventiveness. It’s very likely that you create detailed and vivid images of what the future promises. You can describe it long before others can imagine it. By nature, you forge ahead to build the life you envision. You reach your goals by finding as many opportunities as possible to use your unique abilities and natural gifts. Driven by your talents, you crave moments alone with your thoughts. You consider whatever arouses your intellectual curiosity. Setting aside time each week to explore your ideas is not only a pleasurable but a necessary activity for you.
1. Keep an optimism journal. Write “best future self” exercises, plans, hopes, and dreams in it.
2. Set aside time once a month/once every few months to refine my plans.
3. Be on the lookout for Futuristic visionaries. Keep a list. Seek them out regularly and have conversations about the future. This will allow me to refine my ideas and my language about the future.
Develop a Futuristic reading plan of books and magazines. Set aside time to read them and be inspired by their vision. Capture that inspiration in my journals.
