(with your personalized Strengths Insights)
© 2000, 2006-2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

NOTE: You can take the assessment for yourself @ http://www.strengthsfinder.com/. If you buy one of the books, then your access code to take the assessment is included in the cost of the book. I don’t get any money from Gallup for posting this. I have provided it here because I found it interesting and valuable.

Leader: Ken Crawford

Gallup found that it serves a team well to have a representation of strengths in each of the four domains of leadership strength: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. Instead of one dominant leader who tries to do everything or individuals who all have similar strengths, contributions from all four domains lead to a strong and cohesive team. This doesn’t mean that each person on a team must have strengths exclusively in a single category. In most cases, each team member will possess some strength in multiple domains.

According to our latest research, the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder themes naturally cluster into these four domains of leadership strength. See below for how your top five themes sort into the four domains. As you think about how you can contribute to a team and who you need to surround yourself with, this may be a good starting point.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Ideation
Driven by your talents, you are ecstatic — that is, thrilled — when you read about a novel concept or an original theory. Probably, the hope of discovering a new way of thinking motivates you to read a lot. You enjoy collecting a variety of information. You sense that one day you will find a proper use for it. It’s very likely that you feel more favorable about life when you can freely use your sophisticated vocabulary. Your pleasure is multiplied tenfold when your choice of words stimulates the thinking of others. By nature, you derive great pleasure from making discoveries designing innovations. You really enjoy doing things no one has ever considered. Because of your strengths, you have been described as someone who reads a lot. You probably carry reading material with you just in case you have to wait in line, eat alone, or sit beside a stranger. Because the printed word feeds your mind, you frequently generate original plans, programs, designs, or activities. Chances are good that you thoroughly examine the idiosyncrasies, interests, talents, successes, fears, or dreams of each person you encounter. You contend that no two people are the same. You argue that the same individual reacts quite differently depending on the circumstances and the human beings present. People simply fascinate you.

Intellection
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-before-asked 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 put yourself in the middle of mentally stimulating conversations. You want to gather new ideas, discover new approaches, hear about new theories, consider new concepts, or apply new technologies. Often you are one of the early discoverers of innovations. Others can lag behind if they wish, but you consistently acquire knowledge. You exhibit little need to know precisely where all this information ultimately will lead you. By nature, you are likely to recount — that is, tell in detail — the stories you have read in newspapers, books, magazines, research reports, correspondence, or public records. Actually, the more you satisfy your desire to read, the more tales you have to tell. Few activities delight you as much as evoking images in your listeners’ minds that bring forth laughter and tears. 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. Chances are good that you continually seek wisdom from people with whom you have intelligent conversations. You not only listen but also share your thoughts. In the process, you are likely to move beyond concrete facts. Your curiosity draws you to speculate — that is, reflect or wonder — about theories, ideas, or concepts. To keep your mind fresh, you frequently quiz individuals who are equally fascinated with the intangible and abstract aspects of life.

Connectedness
Because of your strengths, you feel wonderful about life, especially when you become a link between individuals or groups. Many people would not have known one another if you had not stepped into their lives. It’s very likely that you feel very pleased with yourself and life in general when your words and deeds align with your fundamental values. By nature, you bring a much more optimistic perspective to life than many people do. Why? You feel closely linked to other members of the human family. Knowing you are not alone in your sufferings or joys fortifies you. Driven by your talents, you often are the one who helps people understand how they are linked across time, distance, race, ethnicity, religion, economic levels, languages, or cultures. You make it possible for individuals to work together. You aim to break down barriers that separate them. Chances are good that you demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to the challenges facing various members of the human family. The faces you see in the news often strike you as familiar, not foreign. You usually feel a strong bond between yourself and these individuals. You intentionally refrain from being surrounded only by people who remind you of yourself.

Learner
Chances are good that you channel your efforts into the task at hand. You persevere until you have gained the knowledge and skills needed to attain a goal. You can toil for many hours to secure your objective. You probably work hardest and most productively at a particular time of day. Instinctively, you sometimes enroll in difficult or demanding classes. You might aim to expand your knowledge or challenge your thinking about certain things. Driven by your talents, 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. By nature, you traditionally bring an upbeat perspective to instruction, training, or tutoring. You probably regard education as one of the essential elements of a well-lived life. Because of your streng
ths, you relish reading about topics that fascinate you. People are not surprised to find you with your nose in a book — that is, reading all the time. When a subject intrigues you, you review a wide range of printed materials. You glean — that is, collect bits and pieces — as much information as you possibly can about your areas of greatest interest.

Strategic
Instinctively, you can reconfigure factual information or data in ways that reveal trends, raise issues, identify opportunities, or offer solutions. You bring an added dimension to discussions. You make sense out of seemingly unrelated information. You are likely to generate multiple action plans before you choose the best one. Because of your strengths, you are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond the commonplace, the familiar, or the obvious. You entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. First, you think of alternatives. Then you choose the best option. Driven by your talents, you may see solutions before other people know there is a problem. You might start formulating answers before your teammates, coworkers, or classmates understand the question. Sometimes you generate numerous ideas before sorting to the one that makes the most sense in a particular situation. By nature, you long to know more so you remain on the cutting edge of your field or areas of interest. Your inventive mind usually generates more possibilities than you can handle or fund. Nonetheless, you are committed to acquiring knowledge and/or skills. You study everything involved in a situation and conceive entirely new ways of seeing or doing things. What you already know prompts you to ask questions and delve even deeper into a subject or problem. It’s very likely that you periodically identify problems others fail to notice. You might create solutions and find the right answers. Perhaps you yearn to improve certain things about yourself, other people, or situations. Maybe you are drawn to specific kinds of classes, books, or activities. Why? Maybe they promise to give you the skills or knowledge you seek.