Exploring the StrengthsFinder Theme of Activator®

Have you ever sat across the table from someone in a meeting who is antsy, fidgety, or eager to stop talking and start moving? Have you ever noticed a person who seems to always be in motion in every area of her life? Can you think of someone who starts one exciting project after another, after another? These people might have the Strength of Activator®.

Definition of Activator®

People with the Strength of Activator® are the ones who make things happen. One of their most recognizable behaviors is the ability to turn thoughts, ideas, and concepts into action. In fact, the Strength of Activator® can be best described or characterized as action. These people are in action, usually an action that you can see – tapping a pen on the table, tapping the screen of their phone, tapping you on the shoulder and asking, “What are you doing? What’s going on?”

The Strength of Activator® gives you the ability to see how to make things happen, to start to make things happen and to initiate new things so they can happen. They are the “GO” people, not really having the time even for, “ready, set.” For the person with the Strength of Activator®, action is the reality. They learn through doing. In fact, a person we know who has the Strength of Activator® once said, “I don’t just learn by doing, I do by doing.”

A person with the Strength of Activator® influences others by simply doing. They are very comfortable being judged by what they do. An Activator was once characterized as having the attention span of a lit match – now although that is not completely true, think of how long it takes a lit match to burn out.

What makes Activators® Generative

Activators® are generative because these people have tremendous motivation, energy, and personal drive to get things going. They are very comfortable breaking through a stalemate because Activators® believe the best, and sometimes the only way, to get the ball rolling is to act. Activators®, when generative, can be very innovative and creative because they can turn ideas into action without needing to think something through. In doing so, the Activator® can generate new and revolutionary ways of doing things. An Activator® is most creative when in motion.

Behavioral Examples of Activator®

There are many sound bites we’ve collected over the years from Activators®.

“When can we start, can we start now? Can I start? I’m starting!”
“Lets go, lets go, why can’t we go.”
“Where is everybody?”
“If something takes longer than 2 minutes to complete, then it become a project. Not interested.”
“We’ll figure it out as we go!”
“Hurry, Hurry, I’ll meet you there…”
“Try this..”“Try that..”“Try this..”

When asked if green means go, one activator remarked, “Girl, all colors mean go!”

Your Activator®

Do you have the StrengthsFinder Theme of Activator®? What does it look like for you?