Belief is a theme that I think has a lot to do with
values. It's actually a part of what I often call a values package
which includes a theme like Responsibility and Connectedness.
All three of those things have some things in common but specifically I
believe Belief is about people who are naturally
guided and driven by important
causes, purposes, or values. And those causes, purposes and values
can be very broadly defined. But for a person they're usually quite specifically
defined. This theme falls in the executing domain in our, kind of, leadership
research around themes and domains. But I actually think, as I said,
it certainly drives people. So it certainly has a motivational,
"executionary" piece to it.
To some degree has almost a direction piece. It guides people so it's almost
a way of thinking, I think, as well, when we think about it conceptually.
If I were to pick some words that describe what Belief looks like in people,
the word "missionary", and I mean that in the broadest sense of the word, not a
specific faith. But people who are missionaries for some mission.
"Mission driven" might be another word. "Values driven", "purpose driven",
"others oriented". Someone who is a contributor to
bigger... to things outside themselves.
Some adjectives: usually people with Belief are quite certain.
There is a stability about them. There is a... The values that they have are
often unchanging values. It doesn't come and go. It's something that is
strong and certain and stable. These are people... When I experience people who are
passionate, I often find that they have Belief, this kind of emotional
enthusiasm and energy that's aimed at some particular cause, purpose,
or value. They're often (inaudible) and in some cases are willing to make sacrifices
for that cause, purpose, or value. And so obviously the balcony of this
particular theme is that these are people who really know where they stand,
and maybe even more specifically, what they stand for. They're often altruistic.
They may be family-oriented. That's another value that can be a part of this:
the importance of family and values. They're often ethical and they're often
very committed. If I were to think about the basement, you know what does
this theme look like when it can become problematic, it could be
people who might be perceived as stubborn
or set in their way. Maybe unaccepting or intolerant of others,
opinionated, maybe even in our world of,
you know, fundamentalism, I think that could be the basement of Belief.
I think sometimes, and this is kind of interesting, when we talk to
Kelly and we talked to Tim
their Belief occurs in a set of other themes and I think those themes can
often shape it. For example Tim has
WOO to go along with his Belief and so I think that's a
theme that can almost help to soften the edge
of Belief a little bit. I put it this way: You might
might want others to embrace your values or mission. This theme,
that WOO theme, can help you win others over. Not only to yourself but to that
cause, purpose, or mission so
you could be a charming missionary, which would be a good thing.
Kelly's got Command in her top five.
That doesn't soften the edge, that sharpens the edge.
And sometimes you need the edge sharpened!
Not everyone agrees with values, about values.
This theme could help to deal with the opposition
and resistance. So you might be, a...
Kelly might be a fighting missionary.
Someone who's willing to get into the battle
and use power to help
move that mission forward. So that's how other themes might play into this.
In terms of some of the numbers... Frequency in top five: This is not a,
not one of the most frequent, but it's more in the middle.
Eleven percent of the people in our database have Belief in their top 5.
One out of every 10 people you're going to find, that they might have it.
So it's kind of in the middle of the road. In terms of themes that are most likely
paired with this particular theme, and I don't know if either one of you
have this, so you don't fit that... But the theme that is most often,
most likely paired with Responsibility in people's top 5, or with Belief,
it's Responsibility.
So that makes some sense as they both have kind of a values orientation
to them. The theme that is least frequent focused, and this is where you're
kind of unique Kelly, it's Command is one of the themes least frequently
paired with Belief. So you are, in fact, a very unique person.
And so we really want to talk about that combination - how your Command
works with your Belief, because there are not too many people who have this
The other two are Significance and Focus.
In terms of raw and mature, as I have observed, this theme in people,
one of the things that I've noticed about mature... mature Belief is that
it is typically more "for something" rather than "against something".
It's... Here's how I describe raw Belief. It moves away from or against those with
differing values. It's really against. Whereas people who are more...
mature in their Belief, whatever that belief might be,
they move towards engage... try to engage those with differing values.
So that's more of an observation on my part just kind of an understanding
of this particular theme.