My signature themes

Achiever -- a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day, you must achieve something tangible to feel good about yourself. And by "every day" you mean every single day--workdays, weekends, vacations. After each accomplishment is reached, you look forward to your next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical, might not even be focused, but it will always be with you.

Analytical -- "Prove it, show me why that is true." In the face of this kind of questioning, some will find their brilliant theories wither and die, but this is precisely the point. You do not necessarily want to destroy other people's ideas, but you do insist that their theories be sound. You see yourself as objective and dispassionate. You like data because are value-free, they have no agenda. Armed with these data, you search for patterns and connections. You want to understand how certain patterns affect one another, how they combine, what is the outcome. You peel the layers back until, gradually, the root causes are revealed.

Input -- You are inquisitive, you collect things. You might collect information. You collect it because it interests you, and you find so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read, it is to add more information to your archives. If you travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts.

Relator -- You are pulled toward people you already know. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk, but for you a relationship only has value if it is genuine, and the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to others. The more you share, the more you risk, but this is the only way to prove the caring is genuine. Responsibility--You take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start looking for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation.

OK, so now you know me a little better. (I guess that is the Relator in me.)

(From "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by the same folks who wrote the brilliant business book, "First, Break All The Rules.")