Top five leadership strengths:
1. Achiever (Executing)2. Restorative (Executing)
3. Competition (Influencing)
4. Strategic (Strategic Thinking)
5. Focus (Executing)
Achiever:
This describes my drive and constant need to accomplish things. Every day has an agenda, and if the goals aren't met, I feel as if my day is incomplete. It helps bring me the energy I need to work long and hard hours on projects. It also is the source of my productivity. In groups, I am good at creating reasonable goals and making sure team members meet deadlines and produce sufficient work. Achieve is defined "to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish".
Restorative:
This describes my ability to solve problems/ come up with better solutions and ways to do things. I enjoy fixing things so that they can work again. I also find this problem solving trait arise in design, when I find all of the errors and find ways to tweak them. In groups, this would be my constant checking to make sure the team isn't headed for failure. Restorative is defined as "capable of renewing health or strength".
Competition:
This describes my constant comparing myself to others, in both the physical and intellectual sense. Even if I reach my goal, I always feel the need to be the best, be on top, and outperform my peers. It is also true that I like to participate when I feel I have a good shot at producing the best outcome, and avoid contests where winning seems unlikely. I always feel like when people ask me, "What did you get on the test?" I have to have a higher score. That's why I study and work so hard in school. Competition is defined as "the act of competing for some prize, honor, or advantage".
Strategic:
This describes my ability to sort through clutter and find the best route. It is a distinct way of thinking. It's a perspective that allows me to see patterns and play out alternative scenarios. This is my productivity, and a little of creating lists. I wouldn't say it's daydreaming, but I constantly find myself out of focus and running through dozens of different scenarios even though half of them aren't even plausible. Strategic is defined as "pertaining to, characterized by, important in, or essential to the nature of strategy".
Focus:
This describes my ability to set and reach my goals. My focus forces me to filter and prioritize what gets done in what order, and decide how it will help me reach my goal. The downside to my focus is that I quickly become impatient with delays, obstacles and tangents. I keep my team members on track by reminding them that if something is not helping us move toward the destination, then it is not important. I can study for hours on end if needed to. Focus is defined as "a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity".
Reflection:
I found that learning the importance of knowing and using my strengths to my abilities, versus trying to build strengths where I may be lacking, was most valuable from the activity of Friday with Mrs. Knight. I had an "Aha!" moment during the presentation when she noted that people with my traits tend to make lists. I make lists 24/7. I love lists and once she said that, it all made sense to me. Now that I am able to recognize my strengths, I think it will allow me to find a better position for myself in group projects. I think it would be best suited for me to take a position such as project management, where I can oversee the entire project to make sure things are on time, following guidelines, people are working together, the client is happy, and we are achieving goals we set for ourselves along the way.
