What Image Describes Your StrengthsFinder Profile?
At Leadership Vision, we are image driven. We use images to inspire, teach and illustrate. Using photos and artistic renderings as tools, we summon our participants, as people of influence, to take responsibility for what they see.
One of our most frequently posed questions as a company is “What do you see?” We ask it in many ways. What do you see? What do you see now? What don’t you see?
The images tell a story and invite participants to engage in the language of Strengths by discussing what those images trigger.
What do you see?
Sometimes the responses are obvious and matter-of-fact. “I see a tree.” “I see the sun.”
What do you see?
Sometimes it is a feeling or a sense. “I see peace.” “I see adventure.”
What do you see?
Sometimes people see things that aren’t there. “I see her reaching out to someone.” “I see see him falling off the cliff.”
What do you see?
Sometimes people look at an image and their answers come out through other senses. “I feel cold.” “I smell coffee.” “I can hear the wind.” “I can taste the bitterness.”
What Do We See?
And sometimes we tell you what we see. In fact, we introduce ourselves by using a picture to tell a story of how our Strengths work together.
The image above describes me and highlights how my Strengths of Connectedness, Empathy, Adaptability, Strategic and Individualization work together.
This is a photo of Brian and me in Juneau, Alaska, overlooking the Lynn Canal. Several summers ago, we were working with a group of university students for a week. One of our teammates snapped this photo of Brian and me while I was leading a session on leadership and character. This image illustrates a snapshot of my Strengths as well as a snapshot of our process at Leadership Vision.
My Strengths of Connectedness, Adaptability and Empathy are demonstrated in my ability to land and expand in the moment—filling up spaces and weaving webs of connection. I seek, make, and create meaning.
My Strategic and Connectedness found this perfect spot by the edge of the waterway, as the place invited reflection. Look at the tall trees. Notice that it is evening, but the summer sun is still up. What you can’t see is the canvas behind me of water, mountains, clear sky, and sheer Alaskan splendor. We were pausing to embrace the beauty of creation, so that the young leaders could also lean into the beauty and genius of who they were as individuals.
Through my Empathy and Individualization, I sought to connect to these men and women uniquely and inspire them to take responsibility for what they saw in themselves, in each other, and in the world. Brian is on the right side of the photo, actively listening to me teach and reach into this group’s hearts and minds. We are bookends in this photo.
Making Connections with What we See
My photo also describes the unique way we engage our clients. We believe there is magic, mystery and meaning created in the space between our relating and working. One of our values at Leadership Vision is to “go as a team”. Whether our team is 2 or 4, we know multiple voices will have a further reach. We also know there is power in inviting our clients into the spaces between us, to enjoy a safe, authentic and meaningful space to relate to each other. I love what I do and whether I’m teamed with Brian, Joseph, Aleasha, Carrie or Nathan, I seek to embrace and honor my relational connection with each person so that together, we create the best environment for true Strengths engagement.
What do you see in my photo?
Part of our Core Process is to teach people’s Strengths using artistic renderings in our Learning Community time. Additionally, when we conduct training as part of our Professional Services offerings, we ask participants to introduce themselves in the same manner we did using an image and telling a story. Each trainee is given 3-5 minutes to teach the image, tell a story, and share a piece of who he or she is. One woman took a snapshot of her view out her window in her condo. It was a bird’s eye view of neatly ordered homes. As she introduced herself, we heard the structure of her Discipline and the uniqueness of her Individualization. She described why she chose that image. She said “I’m a private person. It would be very vulnerable to let you see my home, but I’m risking today, to show you a glimpse of who I am through what I see every morning and evening.”
One man used a photo of an artist’s studio and used it to inspire us to look at education in a new way with his Ideation, Achiever and Learner. We’ve seen chess games, reclining frogs on lily pads, ornate jewelry, and multiple photos of children. We’ve seen sculptures, vacation photos, and candid snapshots. Sometimes the stories are predictable. Sometimes people take turns in their stories that surprise us and make us all laugh to the point of tears. Sometimes, the stories help people feel a little more known, and there are just regular tears. It is sacred. Time and time again, people choose significant pictures and tell even more powerful and awe-inspiring stories.
What Image Would you Chose to Describe you and your Strengths?
What story would you tell? What would we see?
