Gallup’s Strengthsfinder Self-assessment Test: Responsibility, Belief, Futuristic, Developer, and Harmony

Introduction

Gallup’s StrengthsFinder self-assessment test helps people discover what they naturally do best, learn ways to develop their greatest strengths, and improve self-awareness. (Gallup, 2019) This test identified my top five themes to be responsibility, belief, futuristic, developer, and harmony. The following paper summarizes my StrengthsFinder results and compares my results to the cognitive factors related to leadership effectiveness. I also share examples that explain how my leadership strengths contribute to the success of the organization with which I am associated.

Summary of Results

My first dominant theme of talent is responsibility. Because of my intense sense of responsibility, I take psychological ownership of everything I commit to and feel bound to complete it. If, for some reason, I cannot fulfill a commitment, I will do anything necessary to make it up to someone. A simple apology is never enough. A good name is invaluable to me, and I relentlessly work to uphold it. My obsession with doing things right allows people to depend on me. Because of my dependable reputation, people often come to me for assistance. Consequently, I usually accept too many responsibilities, which can lead to unnecessary stress.

Following responsibility, is belief. I have a set of unmovable values. They affect every decision I make. They help me keep my priorities in order and influence my ability to remain consistent. My beliefs allow others to trust me because they know where I stand. Doing anything half-heartedly or dishonestly goes against my nature, so they know they can depend on me. I know there is more to life than making money, so I dedicate my time to charitable causes and use my talents to benefit non-profit organizations.

My third theme is futuristic. The future fascinates me. Knowing that there is always a possibility to make the world, my team, or service better, inspires me always to dream. My imagination about the future allows me to escape from any present mundane moments. I like to help people weigh the pros and cons of any decisions they are making. The idea that a better tomorrow is coming fills me with hope and gives me the energy to make it through each day.

A Developer is my fourth theme. I am able to recognize the potential in almost everyone. There is always progress to be made, and I thrive on helping others advance. My favorite way to foster success is by encouraging and challenging them. There is truly nothing more satisfying than seeing someone recognize their potential and celebrating their growth. Everyone has unique abilities, and these should be celebrated and encouraged. My goal is never to make someone be who they are not, but instead, to make everyone happy with who they are - beautifully unique and absolutely necessary.

Finally, my fifth theme is harmony. I do not see any benefit in conflict and strive to keep it at a minimum. If I cannot prevent conflict, I will do all I can to mitigate it. Even in the company of those with differing opinions, I aim to find common ground. I generally find that arguing is a waste of time. While I realize everyone has an opinion, I do not see the merit in everyone sharing it. We are all in this together, and there is no reason to make work, life, friendships, or families unbearable due to unnecessary conflict. As long as an opinion or direction does not clash with my core beliefs, I will adjust my objectives to promote unity and progress.

Analysis of Cognitive Factors and Leadership

The book discusses five cognitive factors that are associated with leadership: cognitive (or analytical) intelligence, knowledge of the business or group task, creativity, insight into people and situations, and farsightedness and conceptual thinking (Dubrin, 2015). Cognitive intelligence is an essential trait for any leader because it enables them to solve problems. It is even more useful when complemented by practical intelligence (Dubrin, 2015). A successful leader must also have competent knowledge in the business or team they work with. This knowledge is gained through experience and study. Most leaders are able to offer creative solutions or ideas. Insight helps leaders match each person with tasks that complement their skills. This intuition also helps them make significant decisions regarding potential investment and product opportunities. Finally, farsightedness and conceptual thinking allow leaders to make decisions based on long-term goals.

After reading the results of my self-assessment test and comparing them to the five cognitive factors discussed in the book, I can clearly see where my themes correlate with three of the five factors. Creativity, which is often a trait of an effective leader, is very similar to my futuristic theme. I enjoy developing creative solutions to problems. It's hard to create something new if it's done the same way everyone else does it. I like to encourage others to use their imaginations when approaching a problem. The thrill of creating a new method, service, or product drives me. The second correlation is insight into people and the developer. I respect an individual's unique gifts and try to match them with tasks that not only complement their abilities, but also facilitate the success of the company. I trust my intuition and rely on it often. The third correlation is farsightedness and futuristic thinking. Very rarely do I make a decision based on instant gratification. Every action will have a reaction, so I carefully analyze each scenario.

Application of Examples

When I first started working for the organization where I am currently employed, my tasks seemed quite unimportant. However, due to my intense sense of responsibility, I worked diligently and delivered accurate work. About six months after I started working, my manager asked me to come to her office. She told me that throughout the last few months, she had been monitoring my performance and was impressed with my level of thoroughness, dependability, and competence. She knew she could trust me. Because of this trust, she offered me a promotion. My new responsibilities involved handling sensitive information and demanded the utmost discretion. I gladly accepted the new role. If I had not held so tightly to my beliefs and sense of responsibility, I do not think I would have been offered such a responsibility, given my age and newness to the company.

While I was in high school and college, I worked as the office manager for a small company located in Savannah. When I started working there, I soon realized that the invoicing and work orders were not being processed efficiently. I was unfamiliar with effective operating procedures, but I knew it was my responsibility to develop an efficient process that benefited not only the customers but also the company. I spent hours researching the best ways to help employees realize the importance of submitting job statuses and creating an improved invoicing system. Before I left that company, I had improved the invoicing time from two weeks to two days. That success still encourages me to think "outside the box" today.

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