This is part of a series of articles on the different types of strengths that each of us as individuals have. You can take a look at the ACHIEVER strength that I discussed in the first article in the series.
Everyone is born with talents. Talents are our natural way of thinking, feeling and behaving that can be productively applied. When we invest and develop our talents, they then become strengths. A strength is the ability to consistently do an activity to near perfection. It is about the WAY we achieve success, and all of us have a ‘way.’
There is an assessment called Strengths Finder, and it takes about 45 minutes to do online, answering various questions. Once you are done, it then sends you a strength report. There are 34 strengths in total, and the assessment calculates your most dominant strengths from number 1 to number 34 in sequence of their dominance. You choose whether you want the report of your full 34 or just your dominant first 5 strengths.
In this Issue we are going to look at the strength of COMMAND.
“Command leads you to take charge. Unlike some people, you feel no discomfort with imposing your views on others. On the contrary, once your opinion is formed, you need to share it with others. Once your goal is set, you feel restless until you have aligned others with you. You are not frightened by confrontation; rather, you know that confrontation is the first step toward resolution. You need things to be clear between people and challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. You push them to take risks. You may even intimidate them. And while some may resent this, labelling you opinionated, they often willingly hand you the reins. People are drawn toward those who take a stance and ask them to move in a certain direction. Therefore, people will be drawn to you. You have presence. You have Command.” Tom Rath, StrengthsFinder 2.0.
John has Command in his top 5. He is very comfortable taking charge and leading teams. He is very persuasive, so make sure you have all your facts straight before approaching him. He is quick to notice the things that are not working, and will address them immediately, even in uncomfortable situations. He does need help with being tactful, and empathetic. Those with Communication and Empathy strengths will be great partners for him.
He does not need cheer leaders to be motivated. As long as he believes that what he is doing is right, he will work very hard at making it come to pass. John’s confidence is on steroids, and the insecure may get overwhelmed. But you can definitely trust him to give direction, and restore hope in the team, especially in the midst of huge challenges. When his father passed away suddenly, John effortlessly took charge of the funeral arrangements and was a great comfort to the family.
In the next Issue, we will look at the strength of Communication.
Joyce Mutangara is a wife, mother, pastor, legal adviser and strengths coach. She loves to give inspiring personal interaction, through authentic discussion, and exploration of talents that motivate people to achieve optimum performance through intentionally deploying their strengths. For more information or access to her work and to get personal strengths coaching, you can email her: joycemut@gmail.com or visit her blog Joyce’s Blog.
