At a gathering of Strengths Coaches, one
Strengths Coach asks all the Strengths Coaches in the room: What do you get when a woman with
Command marries a man with Command? From around the room, coaches mull
their answers before shouting out their responses: A marriage that's
dynamite? A power couple! A coach with high
Deliberative mutters to himself, Trouble?
Command, that rarest of themes, is
powerful. Potent. The theme of presence,
Command is about that ability to push back when pushed. To take control of a
situation and bring clarity. It's about influence. It's about wading into
conflict and engaging the conflict.
Interesting to contemplate this potent
theme residing in both a husband and wife. I've seen it first-hand in a couple that is, indeed, a power couple: Each enjoys great professional success, their talents complement one another in their marriage, and together they
are people of powerful influence in their community and beyond. He is an
entrepreneur and consultant who specializes in making things happen quickly,
strategically, and with great order. She is a leader in the social sector who
has held long tenures in institutions, bringing a capacity to develop and
implement new models that take root and grow mightily while
inspiring imitation by other institutions. While he and she have some overlapping
talent themes in addition to Command, their Strengths profiles differ, giving
us an opportunity to explore through the lens of their experiences the
interplay of talent themes with Command. There is no one shade of any theme, including Command, as their stories illustrate.
Moving from arena to arena as a consultant
and leader of entrepreneurial endeavors, his Command gives him presence from the get-go. Willing and able to
be fearlessly frank, he brings clarity to situations where clarity is needed.
Intensifying that Command, his Activator gives him the ability to catalyze
change quickly. Backed up with solid organization and planning, his Discipline
complements his Command so that he becomes an imposing, persuasive organizer.
His Command doesn't run willy-nilly, as his Responsibility imbues him with a
deep sense of ownership and commitment, while his Strategic, Ideation and
Futuristic themes give him the ability to see innovative, best routes forward into
the future. He is a Master Commander.
Her arena of operation is quite different. She
effectuates change over the long haul in social sector institutions, creating
innovative models that deliver entirely new strategies, alliances, and products.
Like her husband, she relies on her Strategic and Futuristic themes to imagine
and create what hasn't existed before. Her Achiever and Focus drive her to work
tirelessly and relentlessly to get to specific outcomes. Her Individualization
gives her the ability to be a casting director who brilliantly places and
develops talent in roles where staff and volunteers then thrive, and, with her
Relator, not surprisingly many of the people with whom she works enjoy deep and
lasting relationships with her. But inside that velvet glove of Relator and
Individualization is an iron fist of Command. When pushed, she will push back,
challenging assumptions, persuading and advocating for necessary change, and
using her strong will to bring about big results. She, too, is a Master
Commander.
One of the lesser known aspects of Command
is that people with Command respect people who will push back when pushed. In this
marriage, that is the case. Rather than butting heads unproductively,
these two Commanders respect one another. The power and presence of their
Command is never destructive in their marriage; instead, it fuels a mutual
respect and creates a balance of power.
I salute these Master Commanders, who are using their particular formulations of talent so very effectively.
For more information on Gallup's approach to Strengths, or to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder™ online, go to https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/
