Theme Insights – Strategic

People with high Strategic Theme are people who will think of multiple options.  They will usually have Plan A, B, C… and the list goes on.  “What if…?” is a constant question on their minds.  When they are sufficiently satisfied that all options have been considered, they then pick the best and most suitable options.

Some people with high Strategic Themes are viewed as flexible, and some as inflexible.  Why is that so?  And what causes someone with high Strategic to be flexible or inflexible?

People with high Strategic Themes have a need to think through options before they move.  Their flexibility is embedded in their prior thinking before a task, their internal mind map of scenarios and what to do when each scenario arises.   A because they have considered all possible scenarios, or at least try to, they know exactly what to do when something happens.  Because of this people with high Strategic can be seen as flexible.

However, if People with high Strategic does not have enough time to think, or faces a scenario which has not been considered before, they would likely not be able to progress as quickly or be as flexible. They would then need some time to process new information and new options before making a decision.  In such cases, they may appear to be stuck or inflexible.

Do you have the Strategic Theme in your Top 5?   What does it need to help you be flexible in what you do? 

By Alex Wong

Alex is a Strengths Enthusiast who is both a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and a Certified Strategic Strengths Coach. His passion is in helping people grow into the best versions of themselves by appreciating and growing their innate talents. In his spare time, Alex is a hobbyist magician and a volunteer at his church Sunday school. Top 5 StrengthsFinder 2.0 Themes: Empathy, Individualisation, Developer, Strategic, Learner

4 comments

  1. Yes, I have Strategic as #3. All my Strategic needs is a little intellectual horsepower and time to run through things. Another of my top five is Intellection at #5 which merges well with Strategic in terms of how I like to think and so this seems like a great fit for me. One other area where I may be inflexible is the case where I’ve considered various paths and concluded some routes aren’t worth following I may have questions about, “Why do you see this as a worthwhile way to go?” that isn’t about me having enough time as much as it can be about what kinds of priorities are placed on various options. I can also see how Learner which is my #1 theme blends quite well with Strategic in terms of finding better ways to move forward each time and believe in the idea of “Continuous Improvement” that is popularized in various methodologies.

    Something else to consider here is how some people may think quick and some may enjoy having more time to digest things. My Strategic and Intellection can go both ways at times so I may have a quick remark here for some things and other times I may have to stew to compose a great reply. I see these as skills I’ve developed over my life that have taken some practice, patience and refining to reach the point where I can do this and have it appear easily. To some people I can seem like a walking computer or calculator as I do well with figures and repeating facts and stories I may have read in various books.

    1. Thank you JB! I love your insights!

      The post on Facebook seems to have created quite a buzz! To summarise some of the points I see coming out:

      1. It is useful to see how Strategic is paired with other themes. Some themes would tamper it and some would happen it. E.g. Activator with Strategic would probably help one to act faster on the various trains of thoughts that emerge.

      2. High Strategic people tend to think very fast! And have great flexibility of thought as well! So when speaking to others, they can often be several steps ahead and respond very quickly to where conversations may be heading. Thought personally I suspect that part of that ability to respond fast is attributed to (a) the ability to think fast and have multiple trains of thought, and (b) have encountered or thought through similar situations before.

      3. When encountering new situations which has not be thought of before, high Strategic people can branch of into several (5, 6 or more?) trains of thoughts. To pursue these trains of thoughts to completion can take time, and make make one with high Strategic appear to freeze up.

    2. One could see Strategic people as being either perceptive or intuitive depending on how one wants to visualize it. To some it may appear that I can think quickly while I can imagine it is just that I may already have thought you’d ask about this and so I’m prepared with answers on it. At least that would be my minor addition here.

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