topBOOST Associates
Phone: 262-697-9460
e-BOOST
Greetings!

We live most of our lives by habit. These habits keep us stuck in patterns that limit our experience of life. Once we detect a pattern we were previously unconscious of, we can choose differently, if we want. With awareness comes choice and with choice, we gain freedom.

Take a moment to pause and ask yourself, "Who am I?"

Enjoy!

David Hildreth

BOOST Associates

HOW ARE YOU UNIQUE?

Each one of us is made a little different with unique personalities, unique talents, unique backgrounds, and a unique set of skills. As a result we approach our lives, our relationships, and our challenges in unique and different ways.

DISC Personality Profile AssessmentThe more we understand our natural talents, how we choose to use them, and the manner in which we choose to behave, the better we can take who we are and incorporate it into what we do, and how we do it!

Interestingly, in spite of our uniqueness, there is commonality in the way we see the world and communicate with one another. One of the ways these commonalities have been defined is through DISC profiles. We use DISC profiles as we train and develop people at all levels and disciplines. DISC is an acronym that stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. These four words represent four ways in which people tend to see the world around them and communicate with one another.
  • The first type is Dominance. These folks are world-changers. They want to make a difference. They will do whatever it takes to make a situation right. They are willing to pay the price and do whatever it takes to get to the bottom line. They're very much about the task, very much about getting the job done.

  • The second type is Influence. Influencers want to get the job done, they want to turn the world upside down, but they want to do it a little more graciously. They want to work through people. And so they would much rather sit down and have a cup of coffee to sort out the problems than go for the bottom line. After all, if we talk about it enough we will eventually find a solution.

  • The third type is Steadiness. These folks are not concerned about changing the world around them; they want to make sure the boat stays right-side up - with as few waves as possible. In order to make that happen, they will do things to inspire the team to work together in order to move things forward as smoothly as possible.

  • The fourth type is Conscientiousness. These individuals want to make sure that everything is right. In everything they do, they research, sometimes in infinite detail, to make sure that everything is absolutely correct. These people are great accountants, lawyers, engineers, and architects - professions where exact detail is critical to success.
Here's what is good to know. Whatever your communication style, Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, or Conscientiousness, you have great value. The world needs people like you with your unique make up. You see things others cannot. So, utilize your talents to make a positive difference.

So, how are you unique?
How Leaders Become Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Many people, courses, and self-help guides profess to lead you by the hand to the promised land of business or personal success. The problem is, in reality, things are always more complicated than the "how-to's" make them out to be. This is why it is often better to consider less the specifics and more the principles and qualities that bring success.

In my experience - there is one quality that stands above all, and is evident in virtually every great entrepreneur, leader, high performer, and successful person. That quality is self-awareness. The best thing leaders at all levels can do to improve their effectiveness is to become more aware of what motivates them and what drives their behavior and decision-making.

Without self-awareness, you're unable to really understand your strengths and weaknesses, that being, your "super powers" versus your "kryptonite." It is self-awareness that allows the best business-builders to walk the fine line of leadership: projecting conviction while simultaneously remaining humble enough to being open to new ideas and opposing opinions. The conviction, and yes, often ego, that leaders need for their vision makes them less than optimally wired for embracing vulnerabilities or leading with humility. All this makes self-awareness that much more essential.

Self-awareness as a critical factor for business-building success is not a new insight. The tougher issue to solve is how to become more self-aware. By doing so, the better you can take who you are, and incorporate it into what you do, producing a greater result. Here are a couple of key ways to make this happen:
  1. Test and know yourself better: BOOST Associates helps its clients become more self-aware through the "Innermetrix" assessment tool: "Advanced Insights". Research conducted by Innermetrix shows that the most successful people share the common trait of self-awareness. When you identify what natural talents you have: why you are motivated to use them: and how you prefer to use them: you begin to understand how this affects attitude, talents, strengths usage, performance improvement, behavior, and individual performance. Understanding which core traits drive your decisions and your attitude is what is most important for increasing the probability for success.

  2. Become more aware of others: Self-awareness is crucial when building a team. Knowing your natural strengths and weaknesses makes you a better recruiter and allocator of talent. But you also must be an acute observer of others' strengths and weaknesses. Effective teams are made up of people who both understand and complement each other. By definition, it is impossible for any one individual to be above average across all the business-building traits. The best teams are rarely made up of similar types. On the contrary, they are composed of a diversity of excellence. If one is open-minded and objective, different types of people on a team will also help over time to further self-awareness and deepen an appreciation for the variety inherent in patterns of success. When you see people progressing towards a common goal by following different paths from yours, there is an implicit peer-based feedback loop and systemic learning in that observation itself. Having the right complement of people and a supportive learning organization allows you to see more clearly what you do well and what others do well.
These keys to self-awareness: know thyself, and complement thyself, are common sense principles but are not necessarily commonly followed. Why? Many people are uncomfortable with learning what their strengths may be, because it will also point out the non-strengths. It is a natural response to avoid wanting to know where your weaknesses may be.

However, when we understand that everyone is unique and possesses their own set of unique talents, the greater the opportunity to become more of who you want to be in all walks of life!

How well do you know you?
I hope you have enjoyed what you've read! Please feel free to with a colleague or friend. We value your feedback, so please send any suggestions or comments to [email protected]. See you next month with special invitations to events, motivational quotes, and more useful articles and tips to help you on your path to success!

 

Sincerely,

 

David Hildreth
BOOST Associates
In This Issue
How Are You Unique?
How Leaders Become Self-Aware
David Hildreth
David Hildreth

Email David

 

View my profile on LinkedIn 

Quick Links
Who We Are
What We Do
People Development
Coaching
Youth Leadership
Assessments
Total Quality
Contact Us
Join Our Mailing List














"Friendship with ones self is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world."

 

~ Eleanor Roosevelt