The ancient quote by Socrates, "know thyself", has nearly become a cliché, because not many people undertake a rigorous process for actually doing that. Make sure you get to know yourself better during your MBA program. Rice gives it's students a FIRO-B and a Myers-Briggs evaluation. It's great information, especially if you learn how to apply it in your work, life, and self-development. Another tool that I like, as I have already mentioned, is StrengthFinder. Here are my results from that eval:
Restorative
You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter
yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge
of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the
solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal
ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many
times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the
greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact
preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences. But what
is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a
wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them,
and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without
your intervention, this thing—this machine, this technique, this person,
this company—might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it,
rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it.
Achiever
Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant
need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end
of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about
yourself. And by “every day” you mean every single day—workdays, weekends,
vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if
the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you
will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It
pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is
reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself,
forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for
achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will
always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with this whisper
of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need
to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count
on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply
that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for
your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.
Analytical
Your Analytical theme challenges other people: “Prove it. Show me why what
you are claiming is true.” In the face of this kind of questioning some
will find that their brilliant theories wither and die. For you, this is
precisely the point. You do not necessarily want to destroy other people’s
ideas, but you do insist that their theories be sound. You see yourself as
objective and dispassionate. You like data because they are value free.
They have no agenda. Armed with these data, you search for patterns and
connections. You want to understand how certain patterns affect one
another. How do they combine? What is their outcome? Does this outcome fit
with the theory being offered or the situation being confronted? These are
your questions. You peel the layers back until, gradually, the root cause
or causes are revealed. Others see you as logical and rigorous. Over time
they will come to you in order to expose someone’s “wishful thinking” or
“clumsy thinking” to your refining mind. It is hoped that your analysis is
never delivered too harshly. Otherwise, others may avoid you when that
“wishful thinking” is their own.
Command
Command leads you to take charge. Unlike some people, you feel no
discomfort with imposing your views on others. On the contrary, once your
opinion is formed, you need to share it with others. Once your goal is set,
you feel restless until you have aligned others with you. You are not
frightened by confrontation; rather, you know that confrontation is the
first step toward resolution. Whereas others may avoid facing up to life’s
unpleasantness, you feel compelled to present the facts or the truth, no
matter how unpleasant it may be. You need things to be clear between people
and challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. You push them to take
risks. You may even intimidate them. And while some may resent this,
labeling you opinionated, they often willingly hand you the reins. People
are drawn toward those who take a stance and ask them to move in a certain
direction. Therefore, people will be drawn to you. You have presence. You
have Command.
Learner
You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be
determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject,
you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than
the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are
energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to
competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite
or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill
mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to
engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate
classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you
are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a
lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on
to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek
to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the
respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome
of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”
