How to Understand People with Influencing Themes (Podcast)
Welcome to the next installment of the Leadership Vision Podcast, where we share our expertise in the discovery, practice, and implementation of StrengthsFinder.
Today on the podcast, Brian Schubring and I are talking about the Influencing Domain of Strength. More specifically, how to understand the people who have some or all of their five Themes in the influencing domain.
We did an entire episode on the Domains of Strengths a few months ago, if you need a refresher. All you really need to know for today about Domains is that Domains organize the 34 Themes of Strength into four major categories, which are Thinking, Relating, Executing, and what we’ll be talking about in this episode, Influencing.
The eight themes in the Influencing Domain are Activator, Command, Communication, Competition, Maximizer, Self-assurance, Significance and Woo. These Influencing Themes enable individuals or groups to sell the big ideas. They can take charge and speak up and be heard. They are extremely helpful when you need to reach a broader audience or meet a bigger goal.
The reason Brian and I are talking about the Influencing Domain is that we have found these are often the Strengths that are most misunderstood. Eight of the least common Strengths, of the 34, show up in this Domain. So today on the podcast, Brian and I will be talking about how this set of Strengths can be misunderstood, misused, and simply mismanaged. We will discuss what we can do with these rarest of Themes and share five ways to understand, leverage, and manage these incredibly powerful Themes.
RELATED: Descriptions for ALL 34 Themes of Strengths | The Influencing Themes
Five Questions About Influencing Themes
People with Influencing Themes often go missing, meaning, they are the products of mishandling, misunderstanding, and misappropriation. The five questions all leaders should be asking to better understand people with Influencing themes are:
- How do you learn from them?
- How do you give people with Influencing Themes chances to be trusted?
- How do you mentor them correctly?
- How do you “deal” with their unique/rare behaviors?
- How do you accept their past over and underreaching?
Listen now to hear our answers!
About The Leadership Vision Podcast
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in the discovery, practice, and implementation of StrengthsFinder. Leadership Vision uses StrengthsFinder to work with People, Teams, and Culture. We believe that knowing your Top 5 Strengths is only the beginning. In fact, our highest potential exists in the ongoing exploration of our talents. Subscribe to the Leadership Vision Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Please contact us if you have ANY questions about anything you heard in this episode, or if you’d like to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.
