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What Are Your Top 5 Strengths?
By JLP | January 26, 2009
My wife told me about the book NOW, Discover Your Strengths
What’s different about the Strengths-based model is that it focuses on improving strengths rather than trying to improve weaknesses, which seems to be way of most self-improvement literature. It’s an interesting idea.
The book came with a special code that must be used in order to take the survey. My code was already used so I picked up a copy of the follow-up book StrengthsFinder 2.0
The survey, which is all done online, requires you to pick from two different statements. On the left side it might say, “I like to lead people,” and on the right side it might say, “I am perfectly happy to work behind the scenes.” If one of the statements is true for you, you can select “strongly agree” for that statment. You can choose neutral if neither applies to you or you can strongly agree with either statement or you can lean more towards one statement or the other. They don’t want you to sit there and think about the statements so they only give you 20 seconds for each question. They want your gut response.
Once you have completed the survey, it will come back with your top five strengths out of the following 34 strengths:
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
command
Communication
Competition
Connectedness
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-Assurance
Significance
Strategic
Woo (winning others over)
I have to say, the findings for me were surprising. According to the survey, my top five “strengths” were:
Harmony
Restorative
Communication
Empathy
Learner
The one that surprised me the most was “Empathy” which has the following description in the book:
“You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person’s perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person’s predicament—this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand.”
That just doesn’t sound like me. Sure, there are times when I feel what other people are feeling, but for the most part, I don’t care what other people are feeling. Or maybe I really am Empathetic and I have just been living contrary to my belief system. Hmmm…
The other “strength” that surprised me was “Harmony.” Read their description to see what I mean:
This sounds nothing like me. I mean, I SHOULD be harmonious but I don’t think I am.
I’m wondering if I took the assessment wrong. The questions weren’t asked in such a way where there was a choice that stood out as being the one that “normal” people would pick, making you feel stupid if you chose the other response. It seemed like a fair assessment so the results were confusing to me.
It is a shame that they don’t make the survey available for a small fee or free. The only way the survey can be accessed is by using an access code located inside on of their books. StrengthsFinder 2.0 can be purchased from Amazon.com for $13.77.
Have any of you taken the survey? If so, would you share your strengths? Did you agree with the findings?
RELATED: For more information on the StrengthsFinder survey, check out these links:
Topics: Books, Personal Growth | 14 Comments »
January 26th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I have taken the quiz as part of my company training. Mine were: Strategic, Competition, Self-Assurance, Focus, Signifcance. I thought it seemed a little self-centered for me.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I took it and got:
Activator
Strategic
Ideation
Intellection
Input
These fit me pretty closely. I am great at jumping in and getting things started, but I ponder way too much at times as well. I do like to collect things (Input): books, board games, podcasts, blogs, …. You never know when you might want one!
You might try to think a bit more about each item. Perhaps you have empathy in a way that you didn’t realize. Or, as you note, you may not be using it effectively. Perhaps you do account for other people’s emotions. Caring about them is not necessarily the issue, knowing and responding may be the case.
My wife came up with a few that she certainly doesn’t always use with me!
On the “buy the book” approach – I think they are trying to crank the book into “best seller” status more. It seems like a waste to me, but that fits with their goal. I certainly didn’t need 5 books around my house, but I did need 5 codes, so I have 5 books.
Brad
January 26th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
I took it and got:
Activator
Strategic
Ideation
Intellection
Input
These fit me pretty closely. I am great at jumping in and getting things started, but I ponder way too much at times as well. I do like to collect things (Input): books, board games, podcasts, blogs, …. You never know when you might want one!
You might try to think a bit more about each item. Perhaps you have empathy in a way that you didn’t realize. Or, as you note, you may not be using it effectively. Perhaps you do account for other people’s emotions. Caring about them is not necessarily the issue, knowing and responding may be the case.
My wife came up with a few that she certainly doesn’t always use with me!
On the “buy the book” approach – I think they are trying to crank the book into “best seller” status more. It seems like a waste to me, but that fits with their goal. I certainly didn’t need 5 books around my house, but I did need 5 codes, so I have 5 books.
JB, the traits aren’t good or bad, they just are. Having needs in those areas doesn’t mean you are self-centered, at least in the sense we usually think of it.
Brad
January 27th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Been there, done that, wish I could sell the book. Not a real big fan of it all and just seemed like a waste of business funds because NOTHING ever really comes from these things.
January 27th, 2009 at 7:11 am
My top five are :
Communication
Competition
Consistency
Belief
Communication
http://allonlineinvestments.blogspot.com
January 27th, 2009 at 8:53 am
I took it and got:
Activator
Strategic
Ideation
Intellection
Input
These fit me pretty closely. I am great at jumping in and getting things started, but I ponder way too much at times as well. I do like to collect things (Input): books, board games, podcasts, blogs, …. You never know when you might want one!
You might try to think a bit more about each item. Perhaps you have empathy in a way that you didn’t realize. Or, as you note, you may not be using it effectively. Perhaps you do account for other people’s emotions. Caring about them is not necessarily the issue, knowing and responding may be the case.
My wife came up with a few that she certainly doesn’t always use with me!
On the “buy the book” approach – I think they are trying to crank the book into “best seller” status more. It seems like a waste to me, but that fits with their goal. I certainly didn’t need 5 books around my house, but I did need 5 codes, so I have 5 books.
JB, the traits aren’t good or bad, they just are. Having needs in those areas doesn’t mean you are self-centered, at least in the sense we usually think of it.
Brad
January 27th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Sorry for spamming the list. It looked like my previous posting attempts failed, from here, but it seems to be working now.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
My Top 5 are:
Competitive
Analytical
Focus
Self-Assurance
Strategic
–
These fit me very well
January 28th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Great to see this post as my company uses this extensively. First I wanted to strongly disagree with the comment posted above:
“not a real big fan of it all and just seemed like a waste of business funds because NOTHING ever really comes from these things.”
I am currently a project manager for a technical company and everyone has their top 5 on their desk and it is woven throughout the company’s culture. I was asked today what my 5 were, they are:
Learner
Achiever
Responsibility
Discipline
Maximizer
As for what has come of it, we go through training regarding working and motivating others based on their strengths. It’s been great to help others out and make sure folks get the right kind of work based on their strengths.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I think the fact that you are aware of when things are not harmonious or you are not being empathetic shows why Harmony and Empathy came up in your top 5. Many people are completely unaware of the conflict they create around them and are out of touch with their own feelings as well as the feelings of others. You are in-tune with these things and while you are not actively seeking them they are often on your mind.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Just took the test today, so still getting used to my top 5. But here they are, for a reference point:
Competition
Ideation
Input
Activator
Focus
March 19th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I took mine about a 2 years ago. Results were…
Command
Communication
Competition
Activator
Ideation
Been working to employ these and searching for the best uses. Baby steps…
May 6th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Personally I’m getting tired of reading latest newest ideas that are nothing more than dressed up stolen works of Peter Drucker.
January 16th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
I just took the test today. My strenghts were:
1. Harmony
2. consitency
3. Restorative
4. Significance
5. Responsibility
I think they are a fit. Now what I want to know is how to make money with these strenghts. Thats why I took the test. On thing that did pop out was not to do selling or cold calling. I have tried that before and it just frustrates me. Any Ideas?