A cornerstone of my 50 ROCKS journey is about embracing the MANY facets of ourselves that help us shine (and why we should recognize the danger zones in our personalities to live our truest passion). It is dialing up those positives, accepting the gifts we are given and carefully learning to downplay the areas that can get us into trouble. (I admit, I am known for sometimes laughing TOO loud and burning the candle at both ends).

Being YOU is perfectly OK: do not believe that you have to be PERFECT. 

To this end, my latest inspiration comes from Sally Hogshead Hall of Fame Speaker, Author, and Creator of the Fascination Advantage® personality assessment at HowToFascinate.com.

Sally kindly shared her gift for empowering others through the LinkedIn Connect: Professional Women’s Network, Powered by Citi group recently. (This group is FULL of inspiration, every single day, BTW). She allowed members a thoughtful (and scarily accurate) view of our professional personas. Like Sally, my mission is to help folks appreciate their highest values and embrace how the world sees you.

I was touched by advice that Sally Hogshead shared with one of our group members, named Eden: “Your team appreciates how you lead with both warmth and detail. Don’t tone that down. Don’t feel that you should fit into the same communication as others. Instead, make sure others understand that the way you are most likely to contribute is through constructive, organized and practical results.

The greatest value you can add is to become more of YOURSELF.” 

So I invested 5 minutes to explore her theory, and take Sally’s 28 question test. Here are some interesting learnings that may help you in business, family and other teams within your circles.

Not surprisingly, her assessment identified me primarily as an INNOVATOR: Folks like me prefer to blaze a path than get stuck in mundane, repetitive tasks. We find joy in creating a better way to improve efficiency, expedite processes, creatively problem-solve and fast track our measurable, repeatable success.

The test revealed that my secondary advantage is PRESTIGE; I set the bar HIGH and demand nothing less than the best of others and myself (no shock there, either). In Sally’s world, 49 archetypes set a tone for how we contribute value to others. So what does INNOVATION + PRESTIGE yield?

Folks like me are considered TRENDSETTERS who have a special place on growth-oriented teams.

“The Trendsetter is a trailblazer who guides others in often unchartered territories.” 

What 5 HOT ways can trendsetters help YOU grow your business?

• CUTTING EDGE: Trendsetters sense what the NEXT BIG THING will be!
• IMAGINATIVE: Our bold, creative ideas make others take notice. Expect the unexpected.
• ELITE: We pride ourselves in breaking new ground and NOT resting on the status quo.
• PROGRESSIVE: We help teams look ahead and inspire our partners as we drive change to outsmart competitors.
• LIFELONG LEARNERS: We constantly read up on industry trends, case studies and help YOU apply best practices – often with a new and exciting twist.

Remember, trendsetters help you stay nimble and creative obstacles where others see only threats. We influence company direction with a FRESH interpretation of marketing opportunities and a systematic approach to SURPASSING your goals.

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As Sally puts it, here’s a lesson that everyone can learn from trendsetters: “Standing still often means moving backward.”

Hope you have fun with this and learn something new. Keep on Rockin!

Pat