What Motivates You?

Fourth in a series that explains components of the Leading From Your Strengths profiles

Leading From Your Strengths (LFYS) Profiles are personalized, detailed 20-page reports which accurately describe your individual habitual patterns of behavior, thought, emotion, and communication. They provide you with sophisticated, objective insights and action steps about your unique strengths – data you can use immediately and long-term.

Teams, couples, families, and employers use the profiles in order to work together more effectively. Although the profile questionnaire is quick and simple to complete, it provides sophisticated data in a 20-page report in six sections:

• Your Natural Strengths
• Your Checklist for Communicating
• Your Ideal Environment
• How Others Can Best Lead and Motivate You
• Your Perceptions
• Your Adapted Strengths

While the previous article outlined the profile’s description of your ideal environment, this article explains the profile sections that address your ideal relational dynamics. These sections help you understand what motivates you.

Three Ways to Foster Relational Dynamics

Three sections of your profile that explain relational dynamics that allow you to operate at your optimum: Keys to Motivating, Keys to Leading, and Areas for Improvement. Each section is made up of a list of statements about you, based on your strengths.

Motivation is internal. A bit of insight or knowledge from another may light the way, but in the end you take ownership to live above your circumstances. The Keys to Motivating section gives you better self-understanding to move forward.

Leadership, on the other hand, is external. The Keys to Leading section allows those who lead you to better understand how to do so, whether by fostering a specific approach or by living as an example.

Both you and those around you can use the Areas for Improvement section to eliminate hindrances that prevent you from leading from your strengths.

How to Use the Keys to Motivating Section

While your supervisor, your colleagues, and your family members can inspire you, ultimately motivation lies within you. The Keys to Motivating section is one of the most personally practical in the profile in that using the data rests largely on your shoulders.

Do you know what motivates you best? As you ask yourself that question, you’ll discover the answer lies in knowing what you want or what you value. For instance, if you know you thrive when you have plenty of time with people, then you are motivated by social environments. On the other hand, you may welcome social situations but find you value time alone just as much. For you, a balance between the two environments keeps you motivated.

The Keys to Motivating section reveals relational circumstances that allow you to work best. As you read through each item, evaluate how strongly you feel it is true. Then dig a little bit deeper. What do you want or value that makes the statement true? Some keys to motivating you may already exist in your relationships. Others can become your goals.

How to Use the Keys to Leading Section

The Keys to Leading section is a powerful resource for your family members and those who work with you. It lists relational dynamics that others can foster for you to perform your best. There are at least three ways you can use this data:

1. Identify three or four statements that are most important to you. Review the list with those close to you so they know your wants and needs.
2. Identify dynamics that are already present in your relationships and clarify how those dynamics use your strengths.
3. Identify dynamics that are not being met to the optimum suited to your strengths.

Can you operate well even if only a few statements are currently true in your environment? Yes. You can make a personal plan for changes. You can also ask those around you to make changes to lead in ways that best use your strengths.

How to Use the Areas for Improvement Section

The Areas for Improvement section of the profile report reveals relational tendencies that may hinder your performance. Use it to create an action plan to eliminate or reduce these tendencies and allow yourself to “major in the majors.” You can ask a trusted colleague or friend to hold you accountable as you make changes.

What Best Motivates and Leads You?

Your combination of relational dynamics is unique to you. How you are motivated, led, and improve reveal your strengths. When you and those in your circle interact in ways that allow you to perform at your best, you grow one step closer to using and leading from your strengths.

That is when you can flourish, for you are living as God has ordered things: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:6, ESV).

Leading From Your Strengths (LFYS) Profiles empower Christian leaders, churches, and ministries to take this step – to discover and use your God-given strengths and be stronger for it individually and together.

More about Your Profile Report

A Map of Your Profile Report, Part 1: Your Natural Strengths

A Map of Your Profile Report, Part 2: Your Checklist for Communicating

A Map of Your Profile Report, Part 3: Your Ideal Environment

A Map of Your Profile Report, Part 5: Your Perceptions

A Map of Your Profile Report, Part 6: Your Adaptive Strengths