Tag Archives: Personality

Start Embracing Your Unique Talents

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personality Types, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Have you ever wondered why you do what you do and why you do it the way you do it? And why you might not fit into everyone else’s puzzle? We become who we are at a very young age. We get accustomed to acting, communicating, and interacting with others in a certain way that eventually becomes us. A person’s personality remains relatively stable throughout their lifetime. You are who you are—start embracing your unique talents.

Worth Remembering – ‘Talent is a gift, but it takes courage to use it. Don’t be afraid to do what you do best.’ – Paulo Coelho.

Have you ever scored a behavioural assessment tool to help identify your preferred behavioural style – your preferred way of behaving. To help determine your ideal career. These tools are designed to assess a person’s personality – how they like to communicate, interact with others, manage others and like to be managed. Some popular tools are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, True Color Personality Test and Clifton Strengths to name a few. I use an assessment tool based on Dr. William Marston’s DISC theory. Marston believed we are born with one of four distinct styles of behaviour.

Based on Marston’s theory

D – Dominant styles feel most comfortable is positions of authority. They seem best suited as entrepreneurs, lawyers, police officers, or any position where they are in charge.

I – Interpersonal styles prefer occupations that encompass teamwork and collaboration. They seem best suited for public relations, sales, marketing, or any position that involves working with others.

S – Steadiness styles have a way of making others feel comfortable and at ease. They seem best suited as nurses, counsellors, therapists, or any position that involves helping others.

C – Conscientious styles are true perfectionists. Their analytical skills make them outstanding planners and problem solvers. They seem best sutied as engineers, system administrators, or any position requiring standards and accuracy.

Worth Remembering – ‘Whatever the circumstances of your life, the understanding of your personality can make your preceptions clearer, your judgements sounder, and your life closer to your heart’s desire.’ – Isabel Briggs Myers.

Put your strengths to work for you. Scoring a DISC Behavioural Assessment and determining where your strengths lie and what career path may best suit you is a great way to start. Visit my website, download a Free DISC E-Book, and start embracing your unique talents. – https://briansmithpld.com/free-download/

This article was written by me – Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics without the aid of AI. To learn more about me and what I can do for you and your management team to communicate and interact with others more effectively regardless of gender or generation, you can contact me directly at – brian@briansmithpld.com

Nature or Nurture – Are You The Boss of You? 1

Personal Development • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

images (5)Are we born who we are – or do we have the ability to change into someone else? Jerome Kagan, who has devoted his career to studying the emotional and cognitive development of children believes it’s a little of both. His research suggests that introversion – extraversion is only 40 to 50 percent heritable. “To ask whether it’s nature or nurture is like asking is a blizzard caused by temperature or humidity – it’s the intricate interaction between the two that makes us who we are”. After reading Malcolm Gladwell’s take on the 10,000 hour rule I don’t think we are naturally born to do anything. I think you can accomplish what ever you set out to do. You can rewire your brain. I believe you are the boss of you. You and you alone get to decide your fate in life. Only you and you alone get to decide where you end up.

Dr. Carl Schwartz, director of the Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Research Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, is convinced that we can stretch our personalities, but only up to a point. “Our inborn temperaments influence us, regardless of the lives we lead. Part of who we are is ordained at birth by our genes, by our brains and nervous systems”. However, he also believes that because we have “free will” – the power to choose – we can use it to shape our personalities. Susan Cain – author of “Quiet – The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” refers to this as “the rubber band” theory of personality. Picture yourself as a rubber band at rest. Just like that rubber band you are elastic and can stretch yourself. You can rewire your brain. You are capable of developing different habits to get a different result.

Do you marvel at how some people have the ability to motivate others, inspire people to take action and influence the top decision makers and wished you could do the same? You can learn to do that as well. You can learn to be more patient, empathetic, flexible, open-minded or a good listener? You can learn how to communicate and interact more effectively with others? The question is – Are you willing to put in the time and effort to make the kinds of changes you’ll need to make to realize your full potential? One of the best ways to learn a new skill is to observe someone doing it the way you would like to do it and copy them. Think of someone you admire. What is it about the way they act that you identify with?  Do they remain calm in stressful situations? When they speak – do others listen? Are they really good at making new friends? Do they lead by example? When they walk into a room do others take notice? Are they compassionate towards those less fortunate? You and you alone get to decide your fate in life. Only you and you alone get to decide where you end up. Only you and you alone get to decide the kind of person you want to be. Think it, act it, become it …  You are the boss of you. 🙂

(C) Copyright 2013. Brian Smith-PLD. May not be reproduced without permission. Brian Smith works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively; and who want to discover how to get the best out of themselves and others. He is available for speaking engagements, seminars and workshops. Visit http://briansmithpld.com to find out more.