Leo's Strengths

2008-01-17T08:52:11-06:00

"In the early 1950s, Donald O. Clifton, who would go on to be
named the "Father of Strengths Psychology," noticed a major
problem: The field of psychology was based almost entirely on
the study of what is wrong with people. He wondered if it would
be more important to study what is right with people.

So, over the next five decades, Don and his colleagues at The Gallup Organization took a very close look at the talents of highly successful people, focusing on the positive instead of the negative. Millions of in-depth interviews were conducted to determine the most natural thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of "the best of the best."

They quickly discovered that our talents do more than make us unique individuals. When we follow our talents - the ways in which we naturally think, feel, and behave - they also serve as our best opportunities for true excellence.

To help you discover your greatest talents and build toward strengths, Don and his colleagues created the Clifton StrengthsFinder.

During your assessment, you gave top-of-mind responses to a wide variety of paired statements. Those instantaneous responses are valuable information. Why? Because they are clues to your talents in 34 areas directly connected to success in any role, whether at work, at home, or in the community.

The Clifton StrengthsFinder has measured your talents in those 34 areas, or "themes." Now, to point you in the right direction, it presents you with a report of the five areas in which your greatest talents are found. And to help you further discover your talents, it provides full descriptions of those areas, along with "sounds likes," which are examples of what people with talents similar to yours might say. You will find your personal top five report and brief descriptions of the 34 talent areas measured by the assessment in the pages following this introduction."

My top 5 strengths from the Clifton StrengthsFinder:

Maximizer
Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else's, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps-all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don't want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It's more fun. It's more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

Arranger
You are a conductor. When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, you enjoy managing all of the variables, aligning and realigning them until you are sure you have arranged them in the most productive configuration possible. In your mind there is nothing special about what you are doing. You are simply trying to figure out the best way to get things done. But others, lacking this theme, will be in awe of your ability. "How can you keep so many things in your head at once?" they will ask. "How can you stay so flexible, so willing to shelve well-laid plans in favor of some brand-new configuration that has just occurred to you?" But you cannot imagine behaving in any other way. You are a shining example of effective flexibility, whether you are changing travel schedules at the last minute because a better fare has popped up or mulling over just the right combination of people and resources to accomplish a new project. From the mundane to the complex, you are always looking for the perfect configuration. Of course, you are at your best in dynamic situations. Confronted with the unexpected, some complain that plans devised with such care cannot be changed, while others take refuge in the existing rules or procedures. You don't do either. Instead, you jump into the confusion, devising new options, hunting for new paths of least resistance, and figuring out new partnerships-because, after all, there might just be a better way.

Strategic
The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike.

Relator
Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people-in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends-but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk-you might be taken advantage of-but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.

Competition
Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people's performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don't compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.

-From my results pages via Clifton StrengthsFinder Download leos_strengths_finder_results .pdf

Pursuit of Excellence & Strategic Approach

2007-09-13T10:32:35-05:00

Leo Crosby is an accomplished leader in the development and execution of marketing campaigns, initiatives, and promotional events. Not accepting virtuous mediocrity, Leo is driven in his pursuit with unfailing convictions. With extensive experience with national ministries and companies, Leo brings to the table a unique set of skills that are hard pressed to find anywhere else.

His experience began by serving as the Support-Events Administrator for National Youth Ministries (NYM) of the Assemblies of God at the denominational headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. Leo was directly responsible for all of National Youth Ministry's events, including their largest event at the National Fine Arts Festival. During Leo's time there the event doubled in size to over 14,000 registrants. In addition, event revenue and exhibitor income increased over 400 percent as a result of Leo's leadership.

Subsequently Leo served as the Director of Marketing for AG Financial Solutions, a division of the Assemblies of God denomination with over $2.5 billion in assets under management. Leo managed a key staff, and during his tenure completed a comprehensive rebranding project for the firm's corporate brand and sub-brands.

Leo then went on to serve as Director of Consulting Services with New Iron Media and leads the team of consultants serving New Iron Media's clientele, such as Willow Creek Association, Focus on the Family, Circle Builder and more.

Today, Leo serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Church Multiplication Network of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, MO. CMN is a recently appointed division under the General Superintendent's office and has been tasked with planting 500 vigorous new churches a year for the next five years for the AG.

He is active with his local church and is married to LaDawna with two sons. Leo and his family live in Springfield, Missouri.