In this weekly series to help you better understand and grow your CliftonStrengths® talent themes, we look at the Activator® talent. Activator is the yin to Achiever’s yang. Where Achievers love to finish things, Activators love to start.
If you have ACTIVATOR in your top 5 CliftonStrengths results chances are good that you have a lot of energy, especially when it comes to starting new tasks or projects. Activators tend to be fearless and not afraid to take the first step or jump. They love to take on new challenges and can be undaunted in the face of significant obstacles. Activators understand that the word “goal” starts with “Go”!
Many talent themes can lead to “analysis paralysis.” People fortunate enough to have the Activator talent don’t often struggle with that. They keep themselves and their teams moving forward. If you are on a team where people struggle to make a decision or everyone was too deferential – go find someone with Activator!
Activator and Achiever® really are yin-yang. They compliment one another so well. Then at times, they compete. It is not uncommon for an Activator to be ready to move on to another project before the current project is done. This can be very frustrating to an Achiever. People with both Achiever and Activator may experience some cognitive dissonance, or inner struggle when both talents want to show up at the same time.
What does Activator look like in you? Are you excited by new opportunities and challenges? If you have the Activator talent do you tend to start new things before you finish your current project or have multiple unfinished projects? Do you make decisions rashly? Activator is a powerful talent and source of internal motivation and energy. Do you control your talent or does your talent control you? What can you do this week to grow this talent so it is more of a strength? If Activator is in your top 5 results, please leave a comment about how you experience and see Activator in you.