Scoring Steve Scott’s 5-Minute Personality Test (Part 2)Now that you taken the Personality Test and scored your results let us begin learning why knowing your personality type or the personality types of people you work and live with means.

What is personality?The four letters (L,O,G,B) at the top of each section represents four basic personality types.

Personality types reveal our natural inclinations, strengths and weaknesses. They determine how we naturally respond to human interaction and most work or life situations. The higher your score in any column, the stronger you possess that particular personality trait. Each of the four traits carry with them are to have the strengths and weaknesses of that personality type. There is no right and wrong here but rather a continuum. The higher your score the more naturally you act in ways specific to that personality type.

Dr. Gary Smalley, one of the country’s best known authors and speakers on family relationships, likens the four personality types to animals because it makes personality easier to remember. I agree with Gary. The animal representations are more effective than numbers, letters, colors or technical terms that you might have seen before.

I have a more full explanation available for you at the end of this overview.

Let’s look at the first Personality Type.

L = LionsLions are leaders. They are usually the bosses at work . . . and if not the actual boss they at least think they are the boss! Lions are decisive, “bottom line” folks who are observers rather than watchers or listeners. Lions love to solve problems. They are usually individualists who seek new adventures and opportunities.

Consider the Natural Strengths of the Lion Personality. If the highest score in your Personality Test is “L” then these behaviors are very natural to you. You are drawn to these actions. No one has to motivate you to act in these ways. You are happiest when they just get out of your way.

Natural Strengths

Natural Weaknesses

• Decisive• Goal Oriented• Achievement Driven• Gets Results• Independent• Risk Taker• Takes Charge• Takes Initiative• Self Starter• Persistent and Efficient• Driven to Complete Projects• Competitive• Enjoys Challenges, Variety and Change

• Impatient• Blunt• Poor Listener• Impulsive• Demanding

• May View Projects More Important than People• Can Be Insensitive to the Feelings of Others• May “Run Over” Others who are slower to act or speak• Fears Inactivity, Relaxation• Quickly Bored by Routine or Mechanics

The Lion naturally responds to work and personal situations in the following ways

Basic disposition:

Fast paced, task oriented.

Motivated by:

Results, challenge, action, power, and credit for achievement.

Time management:

Lions focus on “NOW” instead of distant future. They get a lot more done in a lot less time than their peers, hate wasting time and like to “get right to the point.”

Communication style:

Great at initiating communication; not good at listening (one waycommunicator.)

Decision making:

Impulsive. Makes quick decisions with goal or end result in mind.Results focused, needs very few facts to make a decision.

In pressure or tense situations:

The Lion takes “command” and becomes autocratic.

Greatest needs

The Lion needs to see results, experience variety, and face new challenges.He or she needs to solve problems and wants direct answers.

What the Lion desires:

Freedom, authority, variety, difficult assignments and opportunity foradvancement.

The Lion personality is often an entrepreneur.

Lions are risk takers and can easily disregard procedure or process when he perceives any process to be slowing his ability to get results.

A Lion hired to a position in a company with little or no autonomy will soon leave that company and search for a job that allows that freedom and autonomy.

The Lion is motivated by a challenge to create results. Tell the Lion to sell 25 items and he can take the rest of the day off and he will be golfing by noon.

O = OttersOtters are excitable, fun seeking, cheerleader types who love to talk! They are great at motivatingothers and will absolutely suffer in an environment where they cannot talk or have a say in major decisions of the company or relationship.

The Otter’s out going nature makes them great “networkers”.

Otters usually know a lot of people who know a lot of people who really like the Otter. They can be very loving and encouraging unless under pressure. Pressure brings out an attacking response that is empowered by their practiced verbal skills. Otters have a strong desire to be liked and enjoy being the center of attention. They are often very attentive to style, clothes and flash. Otters are the life of any party and most people enjoy being around them.

Consider these Natural Strengths of the Otter. It takes very little encouragement to draw these personality traits out of the Otter. In fact, it is hard not to see these behaviors exhibited often and with great skill. No one has to motivate the Otter to be enthusiastic and outgoing, but a manager who stifles any of these natural strengths will take the wind out of the Otter’s sales and desire to perform for the company.

Natural Strengths

Natural Weaknesses

• Enthusiastic• Optimistic• Good communicator• Emotional and passionate• Motivational and inspirational• Outgoing• Personal• Dramatic• Fun Loving

• Unrealistic• Not Detail Oriented• Disorganized• Impulsive• Listens to “Feelings” above “Logic• Reactive• Can be too Talkative• Excitable

Basic disposition:

Fast paced, People oriented.

Motivated by:

Recognition and approval of others.

Time management:

Otters focus on the future and have a tendency to rush to the next excitingthing.

Communication style:

Enthusiastic and stimulating, often one-way; but can inspire andmotivate others.

Decision making:

Intuitive and fast. Makes lots of “right” calls and lots of “wrong” ones.In pressure or tense situations: The Otter attacks! Otters are more concerned about their popularity than achieving tangible results.

In pressure or tense situations:

The Otter attacks! Otters are more concerned about theirpopularity than achieving tangible results.

Greatest needs

The Otter needs social activities and recognition; activities that are fun,and freedom from details.

What the Otter desires:

Prestige, friendly relationships, opportunity to help and motivateothers, and opportunities to verbally share their ideas

G = Golden RetrieverOne word describes the personality of the Golden Retriever and that word is LOYAL, so loyal, in fact, they can absorb enormous amounts of emotional pain and punishment in a relationship while remaining committed to that relationship.

Golden Retrievers are great listeners, incredibly empathetic and warm encouragers. There is a danger for these personality types in that they tend to be such pleasers they can have great difficulty being assertive in a situation or relationship when it is needed.

Natural Strengths

Natural Weaknesses

• Patient• Easy Going• Team Player• Stable• Empathetic• Compassionate• Sensitive to Feelings of Others• Tremendously Loyal• Puts People Above Projects• Dependable• Reliable• Supportive• Agreeable

• Indecisive• Over Accommodating• May Sacrifice Results for the Sake of Harmony• Slow to Initiate

• Avoids Confrontation Even When Needed• Tends to Hold Grudges and Remember “Hurts”• Fears Change

Basic disposition:

Slow paced, people oriented.

Motivated by:

Desire for good relationships and appreciation of others.

Time management:

Golden Retrievers focus on the present and devotes lots of time to helpingothers and building relationships.

Communication style:

Two-way communicator; great listener and provides empatheticresponse.

Decision making:

Makes decisions more slowly, wants input of others, and often yields tothat input.

In pressure or tense situations:

The Golden Retriever gives in to the opinions, ideas andwishes of others. Often too tolerant.

Greatest needs

The Golden Retriever needs security, gradual change and time to adjustto it; an environment free of conflict.

What the Golden Retriever desires:

Quality relationships, security, consistent knownenvironment, and freedom to work at own pace.

B = BeaverBeavers have a strong need to do things right and by the book. In fact, they are the kind of peoplewho actually read instruction manuals. They are great at providing quality control in offices, business and organizations that demand accuracy like accounting, Human Relations, and engineering. Beaver personalities excel in environments where rules, consistency and high standards are important. Make a Beavers work with someone who does not share those same characteristics and they will be frustrated and unproductive. The strong need for maintaining high,and oftentimes unrealistic standards can short circuit their ability to express warmth in a relationship.

Natural Strengths

Natural Weaknesses

• Accurate• Analytical• Detail Oriented• Thoroughness• Industrious• Orderly• Methodical and Exhaustive• High Standards• Intuitive• Controlled

• Too Hard on Self• Too Critical of Others• Perfectionist• Overly Cautious• Will Not Make Decision Without “All” the Facts• Too Picky• Overly Sensitive

Basic disposition:

Slow paced, task oriented.

Motivated by:

The desire to be right and maintain quality.

Time management:

Beavers tend to work slowly and love accuracy.

Communication style:

Beavers are good listeners, communicate details, and are usuallydiplomatic.

Decision making:

Avoids making decisions; needs lots of information before they evermake a decision.

In pressure or tense situations:

The Beaver tries to avoid pressure or tense situations. Theycan ignore deadlines.

Greatest needs

The Beaver needs security, gradual change and time to adjust to it.What the Beaver desires:

What the Beaver desires:

Clearly defined tasks, stability, security, low-risk, and tasks thatrequire precision and planning.

How Do I Use the Information of My Personality Test?

Now that you have a basic understanding of the four personality types that you scored. Look at your score chart with the four “X”s connected.

Here are two examples of what your score might look like.

As you focus on your dominant and sub-dominant personality type, it is critical that you understand that these traits reflect your natural inclinations. Weaknesses and negative inclinations in any personality type can be strengthened, balanced, compensated for or even eliminated by choosing to do what is right and best in a situation rather than simply letting your personality’s “natural inclination” dictate your behavior.

However, if you are a Lion and you are placed in a job that calls for Golden Retriever behavior you will struggle against your own personality traits.

For example, Lions have an easy time talking and a hard time listening. Because I am a Lion, listening is neither nor easy. So my natural inclination is to talk in any communication rather than listen, but I can choose to keep quiet and listen, even when I don’t feel like it.

We can learn and choose to cultivate the strengths of the other personality traits and utilize them rather than yield to our natural weaknesses.

Once you know that you have a natural bias or tendency to act based on your personality type, you can “be on alert” and balance your natural tendency by modifying your behavior.

Understanding personality types allows you to identify your hidden strengths and weaknesses so you can play to your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses. As you come to understand weaknesses and use them as a springboard to recruit others who have complementary personalities with strengths that balance or compensate for your weaknesses.

The use of personality in connection with jobs and other people is a science and an art. Steve teaches the complete process in The Master Strategies of Super Achievers.

- See more at: http://www.stevenkscott.com/?page_id=90#sthash.0TVd7NoF.dpuf