The Force of Nature CoreDrill: When the Force is With You

Another iPhone Alert? I ignored my phone since it was 5:05 and I was making the commute by foot from the home office to the living room TV. The evening news was interrupted with a tornado warning in my county. I looked out the kitchen window and was staring at a funnel spout running from the clouds to the east horizon just beyond my neighborhood.

Fortunately, the spout worked its way north and made for a great neighborhood cell phone video block party. Though it was awesome to see a force of nature in action, its strength and power also demanded respect if not fear.

So it can be when your CoreDrill has talents in the Reflect, Energize, and Mobilize quadrants. You are what we call a Force of Nature. Overcomers, persuaders, natural leaders, mountain movers, intense or driven you make it happen. When I learned this was my CoreDrill the world made a lot more sense. My talent combination can inspire when it is on and disrupt when it is off.  

Since Forces of Nature are “Clueless Blueless” they sometimes miss the finer people cues. They may see themselves as a great people person who enjoys the company of others, but when pressed to sit and shoot the breeze without doing anything they can get restless. The urge to mobilize will surface. In the middle of a conversation my mind can divert to my motivational talent and I’m ready to stop talking and get something done- sometimes in the middle of someone else’s sentence.

Developing talents into strengths is critical so that their Kryptonite is not driving them. The Mobilize talents give us some of the best clues as to the force they can leave on others’ Richter scales. Those with a harder push, like Command, can be inspiring and aligning when at their best, but can be perceived as domineering or combative when the Kryptonite comes into play. Maximizers move others out of their comfort zone into new levels of excellence but need to be aware of the crushing effects of perfectionism or over-correcting. Competition will raise the game of their teammates to bring in the big win but if it focuses on winning at all costs it can go into relational debt.

The softer Mobilize talents typically leave a gentler ripple effect when engaged. Developers who over-invest their time and resources in those who don’t care to be developed can feel frustrated and may be seen as judgmental or annoying. Positivity can create a fun and engaging work environment but may seem un-empathetic to the problems of others if they are trying too hard to make brownies out of mud cakes. Woo will charm and establish new connections in minutes but when off track can leave others feeling manipulated.  

My personal strengths journey reached a new plane of success and excellence when I began to intentionally pay attention to how my Force of Nature wake was affecting others. The balancing act is to be that positive influencing force rather than the disrupting change to the emotional landscape. So it’s good to ask yourself: “What is the emotional weather I am leaving behind?” It’s only natural we will be a force - so let’s make it the best kind.

The tornado as seen from my back deck (yikes!):