Inc.:
So just what makes an Inc. 500 CEO tick? To better understand the mind of the Inc. 500 CEO, strategy consultant Keith McFarland teamed up with Inc. magazine and administered the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) to nearly 250 leaders of Inc. companies. TAIS has been in use since the 1970s and was first developed to find the common strengths shared by Olympic and professional athletes. In the 1980s, it was adopted by the U.S. military to select and train special units like the Navy S.E.A.L.s. Since then, businesses from Citicorp to Harley Davidson to House of Blues to small and midsized firms have been using TAIS to better identify managers’ strengths and weaknesses.When the TAIS was administered to Inc. 500 CEOs, four “modes” of operating emerged: Driving to beat the odds; adapting on the fly; spotting the leverage points; and recruiting the world. McFarland and his team identified these characteristics as having a double edge: These operating modes are perhaps most key to allowing Inc. 500 CEOs to build the fastest growing business in the U.S. — but at the same time, these qualities sometimes sabotage the long-term potential of an Inc. 500 company in its later stages of growth.
How do you compare? Some sample questions, and my answers appear below. Take the survey yourself and post your responses in the comments.
Yes or No: In school, I failed to wait for the teacher’s instructions.
Yes. I never waited for a teacher’s instructions. By the time my instructor finally got around to explaining an assignment, I’d already moved on and was exploring other aspects of the textbook, or planning other ways to do a project.
Yes or No: When I read, it is easy to block out everything but the book.
No. I can generally read a book with one portion of my mind and free association brainstorm off the books content with another, almost separate, part of my mind.
Yes or No: Even when I am involved in a meeting, game or sport, my mind is going a mile a minute.
Yes. I’m always thinking, planning, or plotting. I’m not so good at focussing.
Yes or No: I enjoy trying to meet deadlines or competing against the clock.
Yes. I love the adrenaline of racing towards a deadline.
Yes or No: I have difficulty waiting for good things to happen.
No. I know that even in the darkest hours, if I work smart enough, good times are just around the corner.
Yes or No: All I need is a little information and I can come up with a lot of ideas.
Yes!
via Alvin Huang.
The Internet Cashflow Guy on October 20th, 2005 at 9:05 pm
Yes or No: In school, I failed to wait for the teacher’s instructions. - Yes
Yes or No: When I read, it is easy to block out everything but the book. - Yes
Yes or No: People in my life have to accept that school, my sport, or my career come first. - No (I value family way too much to say yes here)
Yes or No: Even when I am involved in a meeting, game or sport, my mind is going a mile a minute. - Yes
Yes or No: I enjoy trying to meet deadlines or competing against the clock. - Yes
Yes or No: I have difficulty waiting for good things to happen. - Yes
Yes or No: In school, my friends tended to be athletes. - Yes
Yes or No: People admire me for my concern for others. - No
Yes or No: All I need is a little information and I can come up with a lot of ideas. - Yes
Yes or No: I am good at assessing complex situations around me, such as which of five kids started a fight or how a play is developing in football. - Yes
PPL-4Ever on October 21st, 2005 at 12:58 pm
In order:
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Not too shabby if you as me since the two that were off of the beaten path could have been answered either way under different circumstances….