Leading with the Analytical StrengthsFinder Talent

Analytical StrengthsFinder TL;DR

The achiever StrengthsFinder talent means you seek a deeper understanding leading to profound solutions. In fact, you probably find the TL;DR section woefully short. :)

If you’re already familiar with StrengthsFinder, you can skip over the next section.

How do you lead well with analytical in your StrengthsFinder top 5?

So you’ve taken the StengthsFinder assessment, received your results and found analytical in the list. Now you’re wondering how to grow or leverage this strength in your leadership. 

I love puzzles and searching out hidden details to solve them, but with a top strength of achiever, I also move on quickly. I’ve seen how valuable team members and fellow leaders with an analytical mindset can be. 

The achiever StrengthsFinder talent means you seek a deeper understanding leading to profound solutions.

I've coached analytical leaders who had to navigate situations that changed faster than they could analyze. These are four strategies I’ve seen them use to excavate the facts even in a time crunch.

1. Protect time to analyze.
2. Limit time to analyze.
3. Look for projects that fit.
4. Find people to balance.

Protect time to analyze.

Even with time is short, you need to give yourself time to research and evaluate. Especially if you have some activators around, you’ll need to get verbal agreement to have time to analyze before moving forward. 

Setting a limit on analysis will feel like a compromise.

Sometimes this is as simple as, “Can we table this decision until tomorrow morning so some of us can have today to analyze the factors and bring them back for the team to consider?”

Limit time to analyze.

Ok, so this may feel contradictory to the previous strategy, but analysis paralysis is a very real thing.

Also, analysis will fill your tank and give you energy. This is a good thing, but it also means you may continue to a point where you encounter diminishing returns.

Set your limit relative to the context. How much total time does the project need, and when will a decision need to be made for critical actions to be taken?

Setting a limit on analysis will feel like a compromise. Because it is. But it is a compromise that will help your team make informed and timely decisions.

Look for projects that fit.

If you constantly struggle with moving to action without enough analysis, then taking on fast-paced projects might not be your best option.

Maybe it’s projects with longer timelines. Or perhaps you can find a way to do market analysis that can be communicated to multiple teams doing fast-paced projects. 

Find people to balance.

If analysis never moves to action, does it make an impact? 

When you pair yourself with others with opposite strengths, like activators, you can complement each other, filling in the other’s weaknesses.

This will be challenging at times as you will have very different approaches. 

Even with time is short, you need to give yourself time to research and evaluate.

Someone with an analytical strength may like to problem find as much as or more than problem solve. Where someone with an activator strengths will be problem-finding by problem solving. 

Together you can bring out better solutions.

Next steps for StrengthsFinder analytical.

As you learn to lead using your top analytical strength, you can help the team see more clearly and make well-informed decisions.

You don't have to feel like you're making uninformed decisions any more.

Analytical leaders can struggle with an antipattern of being critical. Learning the strengths antipatterns will allow you to continue growing as a healthy, intentional leader. 

You are on a remarkable journey to living and leading from your strengths. You can explore the list below to learn about the rest of your top 5 strengths.