I have taken numerous strength tests throughout my life and have taken tests that determine who I am and what I should do, but the Clifton Strengths Finders test has been a recent personality test that has been prominent throughout the last couple of years. I have learned that the strengths that I received before may not be the same strengths that reflect the person that I am now. I have also learned that the four domains are crucial as well and can help with further discovery of who we are as individuals. I have talked about my strengths in different conversations and have used them in different capacities. The more I talk about them the more excited I get because I see the strengths played out in my everyday life. For this blog, I will be talking about my top 3 strengths and how I have use them to grow as a leader.
My first strength is Relator. This strength belongs in the Relationship Building Domain and means that someone values the relationships that they have with others. I see this in my daily life as a leader when I become curious through conversations and ask others about their viewpoints and perspectives. College gives me an amazing chance to meet other people around me that have different backgrounds and cultures that can be life changing. By asking questions about others around me, I get to broaden my horizons as well and the world around me gets a bit smaller.
My second strength is Responsibility. Someone who holds this trait takes responsibility for things or people around them. I see this in my everyday life because I am extremely involved on campus. There are a lot of things that I am in charge of. I am a Residential Advisor and find myself taking responsibility for my residents. I am president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People which can lead to holding responsibility for what needs to happen with the organization to stay active. I am also an ambassador for my major which means I need to take responsibility for my academics and being able to portray that to others. I am also an organized individual and like to keep a planner and a google calendar with me so that I continue to keep the balance between the different areas of my life.
My third strength is being Futuristic. I constantly think about the future and what it may hold for me. I like to set goals for myself so that I continue to stay focused and determined on what I want to do with my life. There are four aspects of my life that I think about constantly which include academically, spiritually, physically, and mentally. I try to set goals in all four aspects so that I continue to be well rounded.
My strengths play a huge part in my future and who I am as a leader. Being a relator means that I am the type of leader to set those initial relationships and build them throughout the career there. This looks like having constant 1:1’s to learn more about someone, helping to set and accomplish goals with others, and encourage ideas and strategies from others. I am the type of leader that wants others to succeed because this propels me forward as well. A responsible leader is someone that can make a mistake and own up to it. Someone who realizes that something is not working and can admit that and move forward to change things for the better. I love change and I welcome it in any atmosphere that I am in because I believe that ideas turn into innovations that turn into impacting lives. Being a futuristic thinker means that I like setting goals and making them known to others so that everyone is on the same page. I believe that when there is confusion and miscommunication, that is where a company often starts lacking. I would love to be a project manager one day because I love working with others and making products that change lives and these strengths will continue to help me build those relationships to connect and network with others while accomplishing the goals that I want to achieve.
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