I’m in a series of posts of leadership strengths.  You can read the first post HERE.  Our staff took a test called Strengths Finder, and I’ll be posting my results, and subsequent personal thoughts, here on my blog.

I’ve got a word of caution about strengths.  Your strengths can become a curse when:

1. They’re used as a hammer.  There’s no reason to use your gifts to manipulate others.  God’s not pleased with that.

2. You assume everybody is gifted just like you. They’re not. And that’s a good thing.

3. When it’s the only lens through which you view leadership.  God has given you certain gifts, and you should use them.  But there are ways that He will stretch you, and situations in which your only course of action will be to rely on His strength.

God has gifted His church for the purpose of building up His bride (the church).  It astonishes me that He would use imperfect, weak men like me to build the church…but that’s His plan…and I know His plan is perfect.

Here’s the second strength that I tested into on my Strenghts Finder:

Achiever

People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Chances are good that you approach your work-related or academic assignments with a great deal of intensity. You are known for putting in long hours and working hard. It’s very likely that you tend to be quite selective about the company you keep. You prefer to spend time with individuals who are trustworthy. You consciously avoid people whose words and deeds indicate they value honesty less than you do. Because of your strengths, you exhibit a strong work ethic. Work probably gives your life a sense of purpose it would otherwise lack.
Instinctively, you argue that hard work influences the course of your life more than anything else. You make your own good fortune by preparing yourself to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Each time you are successful, you can outline exactly what you did to reach a goal. You link together facts, incidents, conversations, or available resources to understand your accomplishments. You resist the notion that life is nothing more than a game of chance. By nature, you exhibit the physical and mental endurance needed to continuously toil long after others have stopped working. You are hardwired to pursue goals until they are reached. When obstacles arise, you become even more determined to succeed.

Do you find yourself described in this assessment?