Strengths in Numbers™

Why do I have several types?

It's common to identify with more than one of the nine strengths types. Here's what's likely going on—and how to home in on what fits you best.

Read the reasons Back to all types

Three common reasons

Why several types may resonate

Reason 1

You chose statements related to look-alike types

Several types are "look-alikes." They may seem to behave or feel similarly, but what motivates their actions or feelings are different. For example, Type 3-Achievers and Type 8-Asserters are often action-oriented, take-charge types of people. If you are a Type 8, you may have agreed with the statement "getting things done is more important than doing something perfectly." However, the 8-Asserter is motivated to get things done to demonstrate leadership, whereas the 3-Achiever is motivated to get things done to project a successful image. The distinctions between motivations can take time to tease apart, so it's common to choose look-alike types as you're beginning.

Reason 2

You learned the skills and talents needed to succeed in your environment

While you do have primary and secondary strengths types, you are also multi-faceted and multi-talented. You use all nine sets of strengths in work and play, and might frequently lean on the strengths of a third or fourth type in order to get things done at work. You also may be influenced by the values of your culture and environment, which can lead you to strengthen talents valued by your environment, while failing to make full use of your innate strengths. So you may have selected statements tied to strengths you've had to work to develop to get along in your environment, along with those that come naturally to you.

Reason 3

You don't fit neatly into one box

Part of what makes this platform such a powerful tool for understanding what makes you indispensible is it helps you identify your unique strengths, while taking into account that you are a complex human being. Because it is a tool for helping you understand your unique strengths, it does not fit you into a single box that could describe many other people just as well. Instead, it is a system for homing in on the complex of strengths that make you unique. This process of homing in can take some time.

Find your type

Ready to pinpoint your type?

The free Strengths Type Indicator takes about ten minutes and helps you narrow down what drives how you work and lead. To pinpoint your type with certainty, take our patent-pending Strengths Intelligence Diagnostic which makes your type clear and shows you the key components of your unique purpose.

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