People with strong Activator talents are at their best when they are taking advantage of opportunities others miss.

Activator® for Leaders

A theme in the Influencing domain of CliftonStrengths

You can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. You want to do things now, rather than simply talk about them.

How This Theme Contributes to Your Success

  • You build momentum in your organisation, creating a culture where others do the same. This keeps your teams at the forefront of innovation as you are always looking for opportunities to create or change. To gain a competitive advantage over rivals, you continue to explore what’s in the future while working with endless energy to stay one step ahead.

  • You find it difficult to remain still and encourage action in those around you. Your enthusiasm is contagious and serves as a model to the individuals you lead. Speed and efficiency are the foundational elements for how you build relationships, get work done and lead during times of change. Because you strive to do more, you inspire others to match your determination.

  • Because you can quickly set the pace for others, you are skilled at summarising what people say and then moving them to act. You pull together the best path forward and get people moving. As you initiate something new, you are comfortable delegating tasks to those who are operationally minded. This allows your organisation to be capable of and ready to make quick decisions.

How This Theme Could Get in the Way of Your Success

  • It may be tempting to interrupt someone who is talking because you think you know what they’re going to say, but this can diminish their confidence. You’re responsible for building your teams up, not shutting them down. Your desire to move quickly means you might leave others behind. Be considerate of what those around you may need to share, and make time for them to express their ideas.

  • The pace you set may feel too demanding to others. Or worse, it could be contributing to burnout on your teams or in your organisation. Trying to match your energy might stress out those you lead as they try to meet your expectations. Make sure that other people have time to think and build relationships without the pressure of constantly performing.

  • You may act too quickly with limited information, which can leave others in your organisation feeling uneasy about your decisions. Not everyone shares your confidence to jump into situations that appear promising. Communicating the risk and your reasoning to those you lead can help establish trust in your leadership.

How to Apply Activator as a Leader

  • Listen before you share your thoughts in meetings or conversations. Allowing others to speak first will give you a chance to pause and assess your decisions before you act and begin delegating tasks. Pay attention to what others are saying so you know how to best position them and other teams for success.

  • Choose a small group of people to help you solve complex problems. Build strong relationships with people you trust to make quick, intelligent decisions. You may not always be there to make decisions and move the action forward, so ensure that there’s a team in place to fill in. Encourage others to explore ideas without you. This will help build future leaders.

  • Ensure your team’s goals and outcomes align with the organization’s mission. Once you do this, find opportunities to establish clear objectives, and then distance yourself from the day-to-day action steps. Trust that others can complete these steps, and allow them to concentrate on their goals while you address more urgent organizational needs.

  • Share the main goals, and then add the details. You lead with action, so remember to explain the particulars of what needs to be acted on. Because you think and speak quickly, take the time to pause and ask others what they need to know. Clearly communicate any desired outcomes and the specifics others need for success

How You Can Meet the 4 Needs of Followers

Build Trust

  • Action is what you are all about. Show people that you are someone whose ideals and principles are not just talk. Do something that promotes the values that are important to you. Make a difference. Demonstrate your integrity. Make your actions a reflection of your words.

  • Action for action’s sake is not enough. Honouring the desires of others is a way of demonstrating respect. Is this the direction they want to take? Are they willing to carry out what you start? Making certain that you are truly on their side, not merely promoting your own agenda, will build the trust and respect that allow you to lead.

Show Compassion

  • Activator talents can be a catalyst for creating one-on-one relationships and then taking them to the next level. Is there someone you can help? Reach out and offer. Make the first move, and you can boost the number of people in your network or deepen a connection that leads to an important friendship.

  • Your rapid actions, on behalf of another person, send a powerful message. By showing that you care, you can create bonds much more rapidly than idle words.

Provide Stability

  • Stability may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about activation. However, consistency is part of stability — and you are consistently there to help others overcome hurdles and blast through resistance. Say it out loud: Let others know that you enjoy moving an objective forward and breaking bottlenecks. Knowing that you are there as a resource is a comfort to people who lack your talent for action.

  • Perhaps courage is the part of stability you can offer. When others are reluctant to act and know they can count on you to help push them or their idea forward, they feel a sense of confidence that they do not have to go it alone. They can count on you to get them there faster.

Create Hope

  • You can help others by reducing their fear of failure. “You never know until you try” is an Activator attitude. Your ability to boost people’s belief in a positive outcome and reduce the trepidation of a negative one can be very productive. “What’s the worst case scenario?” you might ask. Helping others see that even the downside isn’t so terrifying can be one way to lead them and help move them toward their dreams sooner than they would have gotten there without you.

  • Sometimes others simply need your energy to move them from fear to action. Getting started can be daunting, especially when uncertainty looms. Your “put one foot in front of the other” approach can help lessen the intimidation factor. Boost others’ confidence that they can launch initiatives and new projects. Cheer them on by sharing your enthusiasm, and help them gain momentum.

Leading Others With Strong Activator

Activators are catalysts who get things started. They naturally see how to turn ideas into action. As a result, they make things happen. Their energy can be contagious and engaging. If you have an important project or talented group that needs a jump-start, find an Activator — they will bring energy and instant momentum.

  • Give these people the responsibility for initiating and organising a project that fits within their area of expertise.

  • Tell these people that you know they can make things happen and that you will be asking for their help at key times. Your expectations will energise them.

  • Assign people with high Activator to teams that are bogged down and talk more than they perform. People with high Activator can stir teams into action.

  • When people with high Activator complain, listen carefully — you may learn something. Then get them on your side by talking about new initiatives that they can lead or new improvements that they can make. Do this immediately, because unchecked, they can quickly stir up negativity when they get off track.

  • Examine their other dominant themes. If they are strong in Command, they may have the potential to sell and persuade very effectively. If they are also strong in Relator or Woo, they may become excellent recruiters for you, drawing in recruits and then pressing them to commit.

  • To prevent people with strong Activator from running into too many obstacles, partner them with people who are strong in Strategic or Analytical. They can help people with high Activator look around the corner. However, you may have to intercede for them in these partnerships so that their instinct to act is not stymied by their desire to discuss and analyse. 

Source: Gallup®

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