Finally decided to take the StrengthsFinder quiz after months of buying the book. My top 5 strengths according to the site below the cut:
Learner
People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
The top strength didn’t come as a surprise to me; I’ve already known since college that given the proper environment (Don Bosco vs UP Diliman) I absorb knowledge a lot faster than most people.
According to the Marcus Buckingham books on talent, the key to success is to focus on one’s strengths and no on one’s weakness. I think I did a good job focusing this talent in the past half decade: the main reason I took the job offer from my previous company was for the training, not the money. Even after I left, I still focus on this talent by continuously learning new stuff.
Command
People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
This one was surprising because I don’t really consider myself as a leader.
However, it does make sense when I think about it. When everybody is hesitating, I’m usually the one who steps up and takes command of the situation. I also have this intimidating aura around me that makes people become wary about my presence.
Another thing about Command is that people who have it aren’t afraid to disagree with other people or to get into conflicts when something is on the line.
Yeah, I guess I’m that kind of person.
Futuristic
People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Yet another surprising revelation.
Like Command, I don’t really think of myself as a guy who focuses on the future. And like Command, this strength makes sense when I think about it.
The key here is that I don’t dwell in the past nor do I worry about the present. I live my life without regrets, instead I just use past mistakes as a way to guide me to the future. I am also content about the present, constantly making sure that regardless of how many risks I take in life, I know that I won’t lose.
Without those two, I only have the future to focus on.
Individualization
People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
This is a relatively new talent, influenced by first, break all the rules and the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition. The idea behind this strength is the belief that every situation and every person should be dealt with according to the context of the situation.
Thinking about it more, I already had a bit of this talent for a long time. I’m picky about friends because I know that I eventually have to treat each one of them differently unlike other people who are fine about treating “friends” equally.
The dead giveaway is my habit of gift-giving: I never give non-personalized gifts.
Achiever
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
This isn’t a surprise especially to the people who have worked with me in the past. I probably wouldn’t have survived in a company who considers 50-60 hours of work a week as normal for over four years without this talent.
However, it’s surprising that this strength isn’t higher on the list. It may be a hint that the goal (Futuristic) and the process (Command) is more important to me than the achievement itself.
—
Overall, the assessment was slightly unpredictable. I was expecting to have strengths like Competition and Developer (a guy who wants to make others succeed), and I was expecting Achiever to be higher on the list.
The assessment also hints that I am not suited for rank-and-file corporate developer work because of Command (and to a lesser extent, Learner). Good thing I’m done with that phase in my life. :P
