Everyone knows a person who comes up with amazing ideas, and they are unsuccessful at realizing their vision. I have worked with some amazing visionaries in the fitness field, some of which could execute and have been very successful. Unfortunately, others just can't quite get there. I have also worked with the "worker bee" type who thrives in environments where they need not have an imagination or any sort of vision. Their fulfillment comes from the completion of tasks and projects.
It is valuable to recognize that vision and execution are two different skill sets. Some people are great at both, but most people are stronger at one versus the other. When we are partnering in business, hiring for a new role, or collaborating with others on a project, it is important to recognize both where your strength is, or leans, and where others' are on the spectrum. If you are partnering with someone who is a great visionary, maybe you need to be a strong executor, or find one on your team to help overall success. Conversely, if you have a team of great executors, but are having struggles with innovation, and are simultaneously trying to fill a new role, you may need to look for a person that is innovative. \
There are a myriad of tools online to determine your strengths and weaknesses, or your personality type. My perspective is that many of them have value and are a part of the picture. Some resources to check out include:
- Gallup's Clifton StrengthsFinder
- The OCEAN Personality Test
- The Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator
There are many, many more, but I have found these 4 to be fun, interesting, and fairly accurate, especially if you consider the results together.
Am I suggesting that you put everyone on your team through tests? Not as part of their job, however it can be a fun teambuilding experience. I have used the concepts behind tests such as these in teambuilding activities to help teammates learn more about how to best work together.
The bottom line is this: whether you're talking about strengths/weaknesses, extroversion/introversion, visionary/execution, or whatever, DIVERSE TEAMS PERFORM BETTER! Yes, that's all caps on purpose. While this Harvard Business Review article is from 2016, this still rings true. Diverse teams (diverse in thought, background, etc.) perform better and smarter. Look to fill the spaces on your team, or in your circle of collaboration, with people who are not like you and you will see greater results as you will collectively be able to compliment one another more effectively.
It's smart business. It's the right thing to do. It produces positive results.
