About 20 years ago, my then-boss retired. As the department’s #2 (who had basically been keeping things running for quite a while), I seemed like a shoe-in as her replacement. Except when the hiring manager (my grandboss) called me with the hiring decision, she said she had selected a different candidate.
“You’re really great at rowing the boat,” she told me kindly. “But not as great at setting direction.”
Now, I respected this boss immensely. So I wanted to hear her feedback. AND, in this case I was pretty sure that she was wrong. And for the next 15 years I set out to prove that I could, indeed, set direction not just execute.
Then I learned about my Predictive Index profile. And darn it, it turns out there was something insightful about that boss’s feedback.
You see, my profile is that of Guardian. Among other data, this means that my “C” (Patience) factor is higher than my “A” (Dominance) factor. And that results in a drive that’s more Responsive (as opposed to Proactive).
Suddenly my grandboss’s feedback all those years ago came into better focus. Not to say that I CANNOT set direction. But my profile indicates that I’m more comfortable in an executing role. Will my execution be fabulous? Yes! Will my execution be insightful and wise and savvy? Yes! But will my execution be based on reading the room and solving problems as they arise? Also yes. Which is just fine. Except that it results in being more comfortable making the best out of someone else’s decision—not necessarily wanting to make that decision myself.
Understanding this part of my PI profile has helped me make peace with the feedback I got from that hiring manager. And has helped me be intentional about when I need to step outside my comfort zone to be the one setting direction.
Being better at rowing the boat doesn’t mean I’m not capable of setting the direction. But understanding my strengths helps me make the most of them and understand my blind spots.
Karman Hotchkiss
