Transformational Leadership: From the Insight Out

Transformation Tip : Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude. - Ralph Marston This week’s talent: Maximizer Intrinsic needs: To be able to focus on strengths and excellence  Freedom to excel  To be in an environment that encourages growth and quality  Potential blindspots: Your desire to exhaust all possible outcomes can frustrate those who want to come to a suitable conclusion and move f...

Transformation Tip: “It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." - Babe Ruth This week’s talent: Competition Intrinsic needs: The opportunity to regularly compete and win Feedback/information to compare yourself with.  (What’s the score?) Pick jobs/roles where your performance can be measured.  To be on a winning team Take time to celebrate your wins. Potential blindspots: Be careful...

Transformation Tip: “How well we communicate is not determined by how well we say things but how well we are understood.” – Andrew Grove, engineer, CEO This week’s talent: Communication Intrinsic needs: To process/think/learn “out loud” Frequent opportunities to speak and/or to write A collaborative sounding board(s), and objective feedback Potential blindspots: Because you are naturally verbal an...

Transformation Tip: "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand." —Gen. Colin Powell This week’s talent: Command Intrinsic needs: Strong leaders to follow  Clear direction and priorities  Potential blindspots: Your decisiveness and presence can be intimidating, whether you intend them to b...

Transformation Tip: Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will. – W. Clement Stone This week’s talent: Activator Intrinsic needs: To act…now!  To have others join you  To be in an environment that allows you to “activate”  Potential blindspots: Sometimes you might charge ahead and act without a solid plan.  You’re most likely not a great “finisher.”  The force of your urging people to take a...

Transformation Tip: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War This week’s talent: Strategic Intrinsic needs: To be part of the decision-making process Time to “muse” until the related patterns  and issues emerge for you Freedom to make mid-course corrections Freedom from, “But we’ve always done it that...

Transformation Tip : “Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets." — Leonardo da Vinci This week’s talent: Learner Intrinsic needs: Must always be learning Opportunities to share new knowledge Freedom to learn in areas that are of interest  Potential blindspots: You place a high value on learning and studying and may tend to impose this value on others....

Transformation Tip: “Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood.” — Friedrich Nietzsche This week’s talent: Intellection Intrinsic needs: Time alone to process and reflect, sometimes multiple times a day To be asked to share wisdom and insights Others to recognize that their thoughts are valuable. Potential blindspots: Because you are comfortable with silence...

Transformation Tip: “Retrieval is the knot at the end of the string that prevents you from forgetting what you learn.” - Peter C. Brown This week’s talent: Input Intrinsic needs: A system to store and retrieve information  Opportunities to share what you know to help others  Time to explore areas of curiosity. “Treasure hunting”  Potential blindspots: Unrestrained input can lead to intellectual or...

Transformation Tip: “If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it." - Albert Einstein This week’s talent: Ideation Intrinsic needs: To be patient as you clarify and refine your ideas Freedom to ideate without restrictions and confinement of the status quo Need others as a sounding board Potential blindspots: Your limitless thoughts and ideas can sometimes overwhelm and co...

Transformation Tip: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Peter Drucker This week’s talent: Futuristic Intrinsic needs: Time to dream about the future  Sounding boards to refine the vision A message and community to share the vision.  To partner with action-oriented people. Potential blindspots: Because you live in the future, you may find it difficult to enjoy the present moment...

Transformation Tip:  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, This week’s talent: Context Intrinsic needs: To know others' stories, to understand them  To know the history of things  Time to reflect on the past  Celebrate milestones Potential blindspots: Some people might think that you live in the past and are resistant to change.  You are often fa...

Transformation Tip: “The price for greatness is responsibility” - Winston Churchill This week’s talent: Responsibility Intrinsic needs: The confidence and trust of others  Freedom from micromanagers  Freedom to say “no” Healthy boundaries  Potential blindspots: Because they find it difficult to turn down others’ requests, sometimes they overcommit.  Too many obligations can keep them from spending...

   Transformation Tip: “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”  ― Albert Einstein  This week’s talent is: Restorative Intrinsic needs: Freedom to solve the problem  To be asked, “What needs attention, and what could be improved?”  To be encouraged and affirmed for their contribution  Potential blindspots: Be...

Transformation Tip: “Numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story.” This week's strength: Analytical   Intrinsic needs: Time to gather and process all the pertinent facts/data An avenue to share information  To be understood when questioning others’ assumptions Potential blindspots: Because you ask many questions, people may think that you doubt the validity of their ideas, you do n...

Transformation Tip:  “If you aim at nothing you’re sure to hit it” This week’s talent: Focus People exceptionally talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through and make the corrections necessary to stay on track.  Intrinsic needs: Clear and compelling destination and goals  Clear order of priorities  An environment free from constant distractions Potential blindspots: Those with...

Transformation Tip: “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” - Jim Rohn People exceptionally talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.  Talent in action: People with strong Discipline talents thrive in a predictable and orderly environment, so they instinctively create and follow plans to organize their...

Transformation Tip: “There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.” - Robin Williams People exceptionally talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate obstacles.   People with strong Deliberative talents are private. They are careful and vigil...

Transformation Tip : “If you are willing to abandon your principles for convenience and social acceptability, they are not your principles. They are your costume” - Diana Rhodes This week’s strength - Belief  Unchanging core values that give them purpose  Motivation comes from their core values  Intrinsic needs: Needs opportunity to live out core values  Needs to know they are making a difference ...

Transformation Tip: “Success isn’t always about greatness, it is also about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come” - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson This week’s strength: Consistency  Aware of the need to treat people equally Crave routine and clear rules  Repeatability  Intrinsic Needs  Hates favoritism, nepotism, special treatment  Want opportunities to make things fa...

Transformation Tip : “A resourceful person can see opportunity when others only see obstacles” - Garret Gunderson  This week’s strength: Arranger  Manages all the variables to find the most productive outcome  Does best in dynamic situations  Curveballs don’t bother them (rearranger)  Intrinsic needs: Does best when things are changing  Opt into a project and then opt out when your work is done  B...

Transformation Tip: “Just do it” - Nike  This week’s strength: Achiever  Hard worker  Take satisfaction in being busy and productive  Loves to make a list and check off items on that list  Gets stuff done  Intrinsic needs: Balance Work Resting  Hobbies Relationships  Periodically celebrate achievements  Blind spots  Judge those who don't work as hard as they do  Can be seen as too demanding ...

Transformation Tip : “There is nothing on earth more to be prized than true friendship” - Thomas Aquinas  This week’s strength: Relator  Enjoys deep relationships with others  Believes in the power of personal authentic relationships  Believes in the relationship more than being right  Lifelong friends  Generous  Intrinsic Needs:  One-on-one interactions  Time with your inner circle  Struggles in...

Transformation Tip: “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will” - Zig Ziglar  This week’s strength: Positivity  These people:  Have enthusiasm  Can get people excited about things  Looks for optimistic outcomes  Enjoys celebrating  Intrinsic Needs   To have fun Positive atmosphere  Freedom from over-critical people To be appreciated  Blind Spots  Can become se...

Transformation Tip : “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken” - Oscar Wild  This week’s strength: Individualization  People who are:  Intrigued with what makes people unique individual  Understand people very well - good at reading people  Don't like generalizations  Believes one size DOES NOT fit all  Intrinsic needs: Opportunity to customize  Appreciated and valued for uniqueness  Help...