1. Nurturer
1.1. Are You a Nurturer?
1.1.1. Nurturers are champions of people and work to take care of everyone around them.
1.1.2. They are always concerned about the relational health and harmony of the group.
1.1.3. They are completely committed to protecting values and principles.
1.1.4. Nurturers have a hard time separating their work from who they are.
1.1.5. They innately understand how certain actions, behaviors, or initiatives will affect people.
1.2. What do they bring at their best?
1.2.1. Nurturers appreciate each person's contribution and voice.
1.2.2. They intuitively feel how an organization will react to a new idea.
1.2.3. Nurturers are pragmatic realists— they want to make sure that decision makers have really thought things through.
1.2.4. They defend values— people come before profit.
1.2.5. Nurturers function as the relational oil inside the organization.
1.2.6. They have a commitment to relational harmony before/ during/ after meetings.
1.3. What Questions Are They Really Asking Inside?
1.3.1. “What are people around me going to be most upset about?” This occurs because the Nurturer looks out for others and cares for them as family.
1.3.2. “Are the leaders really thinking about the people's best interests?”
1.3.3. “Don't others see how people are upset by this decision?” Because Nurturers take care of others they wonder if others think like they do.
1.3.4. “Do the leaders want to hear what I think?” Nurturers don't believe that what they have to say is valued as much as it actually is.
1.4. Negative Impact
1.4.1. Nurturers can be overly resistant to change and can be passive aggressive.
1.4.2. They can feel unable to challenge a proposed direction when they disagree.
1.4.3. Making money is often seen as an impure motive.
1.4.4. Nurturers don't usually value the contribution they make.
2. Pioneer
2.1. Are You a Pioneer?
2.1.1. Pioneers are champions of aligning people with resources to win or achieve the objective.
2.1.2. They approach life with an “Anything is possible!” attitude.
2.1.3. Pioneers believe visioning a new future is always the highest priority.
2.1.4. They are always seeking to find the quickest, fastest, and most efficient way to do things.
2.1.5. Pioneers value “outside the box thinking,” interesting or different ways of doing things, and tend to seek out the most interesting people to learn from and add to their body of knowledge.
2.2. What do they bring at their best?
2.2.1. Pioneers bring strategic military-like thinking to achieve the agreed objective.
2.2.2. They display the courage to make difficult decisions and prioritize the vision.
2.2.3. Pioneers communicate an attractive vision of the future with confidence.
2.2.4. The Pioneer has the capacity to align resources and people to make things happen.
2.2.5. They have the tenacity, energy, and strong desire for the team to win.
2.3. What Questions Are They Really Asking Inside?
2.3.1. “Who says we can't?” They actually want to know names so they can decide if they want them on their team or not.
2.3.2. “Do you really not ‘get it’?” If you don't, then you will not be in their inner circle.
2.3.3. “Are you competent?” Pioneers want the best people around the table.
2.3.4. “Have you got a proven track record?” Pioneers love to be around people who have already succeeded in something.
2.4. Negative Impact
2.4.1. They can appear arrogant with a “me-focused” agenda at times.
2.4.2. Immature Pioneers fail to hear or value all of the 5 Voices.
2.4.3. They quickly get frustrated with those who don't “get it.”
2.4.4. Pioneers exude a “back me or fight me!” mentality when they present their ideas.
2.4.5. They can drive too hard with an insensitivity to the needs of others.
2.4.6. Because they separate business from personal they can hurt people by their tone and tact and not realize it.
3. Guardian
3.1. Are You a Guardian?
3.1.1. Guardians are champions of responsibility and stewardship.
3.1.2. They respect and value logic, systems, order, procedure, and process.
3.1.3. They seek clarity, as well as logical and proven decision-making criteria even if they have to ask the tough questions to get there.
3.1.4. Guardians like to see established track records of success to justify trying something different.
3.1.5. They can feel frustrated that they are sometimes seen as “raining on the parade” just because they are trying to make sure the team makes the best decision possible.
3.2. What do they bring at their best?
3.2.1. The Guardian has a relentless commitment to ask the difficult questions, especially if they feel that no one else will.
3.2.2. They have a selfless capacity to deliver the vision once it has been agreed.
3.2.3. Guardians have a long-term commitment to deliver on time and on budget.
3.2.4. They are the custodians of resources and how money is invested/ spent, acting as if it is their own money.
3.2.5. They have the ability to detach decision-making from personal sentiments.
3.2.6. Guardians guard what is already working.
3.3. What Questions Are They Really Asking Inside?
3.3.1. “Is this worth the risk and investment?” Guardians always remember the time where money or time was misspent on some harebrained idea and want to make sure that doesn't happen again.
3.3.2. “Convince me that change is really necessary.”
3.3.3. “Can we test the hypothesis before we go all in?” Guardians like pilot programs so they can test the idea before fully committing.
3.3.4. “Am I at risk of being taken advantage of?” Most Guardians have stories about the last time they fell for some charismatic speaker or grandiose idea and they choose to not do that again.
3.3.5. “Are we honoring the past as we look towards the future?”
3.4. Negative Impact
3.4.1. An immature Guardian is often slow to compromise when they have a strongly held opinion. They can be stubborn.
3.4.2. They have a deep desire for truth and right decisions, which can often override the feelings of others.
3.4.3. Guardians can appear overly critical of people and ideas.
3.4.4. They can interrogate people and lose influence because of their negative response to ideas.
3.4.5. Tone and tact can often be an issue for a Guardian. They often don't see what it is like to be on the other side of them.
4. Creative
4.1. Are You a Creative?
4.1.1. Creatives are champions of innovation and future ideas.
4.1.2. They are conceptual architects and are able to see how all the pieces fit together.
4.1.3. Creatives are never satisfied with the status quo; they always believe it can be better. The word “can't” is not in their vocabulary.
4.1.4. Creatives long for an environment where they know their contribution is valued and appreciated.
4.1.5. They are purists in their minds and want to see their ideas become reality.
4.2. What do they bring at their best?
4.2.1. Creatives see the future first, both in terms of long-term opportunities and potential dangers.
4.2.2. Because they are never satisfied with good enough, they push organizations and people to higher heights.
4.2.3. They are like an “early warning radar system” and can see the opportunities and dangers of the future before everyone else.
4.2.4. Creatives have the capacity to think outside the box.
4.2.5. They have a strong social conscience and a desire for organizational integrity.
4.3. What Questions Are They Really Asking Inside?
4.3.1. “So what? Does all this activity really get us closer to our vision?” Because the Creative has the master plan in their mind they want to make sure the activities lead to that plan.
4.3.2. “Why do people never seem to fully understand my ideas?” They get frustrated when others say things that they believe they have already said.
4.3.3. “Are we compromising our values in a way that we might regret later?”
4.3.4. “Are you a safe person for me to share my ideas with?” Creatives don't like to share their ideas where they won't be valued.
4.3.5. “Why are we limiting ourselves?”
4.3.6. “How could we do it better?”
4.4. Negative Impact
4.4.1. They can often fail to celebrate the 90% that has been achieved, focusing instead on the 10% that hasn't been accomplished yet.
4.4.2. Idealism can often trump pragmatism, leading to a sense of paralysis until the Creative believes it can be perfect.
4.4.3. Creatives have a tendency to ignore financial constraints and other practical hurdles.
5. Connector
5.1. Are You a Connector?
5.1.1. Connectors are champions of relationships and strategic partnerships.
5.1.2. They rally people around causes and things they believe in.
5.1.3. Connectors believe in a world where everyone can play and get excited about future opportunities… and they work to make it happen.
5.1.4. Receiving appreciation and credit for making key connections is highly motivating and energizing for Connectors.
5.1.5. Connectors often respond to challenges with: “Whatever we need, I can get it or I have a source.”
5.2. What do they bring at their best?
5.2.1. Connectors have the capacity to maintain a large number of relationships.
5.2.2. They know how to connect people to their own aspirations.
5.2.3. Connectors have boundless Creativity, Energy, and Imagination.
5.2.4. They create connections to new opportunities and networks.
5.2.5. They are usually persuasive and inspirational communicators.
5.3. What Questions Are They Really Asking Inside?
5.3.1. “What will make this idea really connect with people?”
5.3.2. “You really can't ‘see it’?” This happens when they are explaining an idea and the other person rejects it or discounts it.
5.3.3. “Is everyone still with me?” Connectors want everyone to buy in.
5.3.4. “Are you aware of what I've done?” Accomplishments are a big deal to Connectors and they want to make sure you are at least aware.
5.4. Negative Impact
5.4.1. Connectors can be people pleasers and therefore not bring needed challenge.
5.4.2. When they feel critiqued they sell harder rather than understand why the other person may not be interested.
5.4.3. Oftentimes the Connector won't hear or engage fully with critical feedback.
5.4.4. Connectors can boomerang conversations by hijacking them and making the conversations be about them instead of the other person.
5.4.5. The immature Connector can oftentimes become passive aggressive with a person who seems to reject them, and becomes vindictive.