Every person is unique with a different set of experiences, skills and ambitions.
Research shows there are four core personality types each with four sub-types. While a person’s experiences, skills and ambitions change over time, personality is remarkably stable.
Learning about your personality will help you understand your needs and preferences.
This will enable you to make choices which enhance your level of career satisfaction.
Pragmatics make up about 10% of the global population. There are four types of Pragmatics: Designers, Mobilizers, Innovators, and Operators. Pragmatics love using logic to build solutions that stand the test of time.
Pragmatic types share a number of characteristics. They are independent and achievement oriented. Pragmatics love to come up with new solutions to problems. They are ingenious and creative, yet highly practical. While they excel at generating ideas, Pragmatics thrive on finding solutions that work in the real world.
In their professional lives, Pragmatics excel at figuring out how things work and creating systems and processes to support new ways of doing things. They love solving problems to achieve hard to hit goals. Pragmatics are often highly effective strategists and subject matter experts due to their ability to integrate diverse ideas and experiences.
Mobilizers make up about 3% of the population. They are natural leaders with the vision and drive to muster people and resources. Mobilizers think strategically and create specific tactics to put their plans into action.
Mobilizers love a challenge. Their long-term focus and courage help them overcome obstacles when many other types give up. They have robust energy and the ability to communicate a compelling vision, inspiring others to support their goals.
Mobilizers have sharp minds and dominant personalities which can be overwhelming. They enjoy using their ingenuity to defeat opponents, win negotiations or overcome barriers. Although they are inspiring communicators, Mobilizers may lack sensitivity and can appear cold and uncaring. Mobilizers need to be conscious of their impression and learn how to nurture relationships.
Once they master the ability to act and communicate with empathy, Mobilizers are sure to succeed in many fields. They are prominent at senior levels in corporations, as entrepreneurs, and in politics.
Mobilizers identify opportunities for improvement in processes, systems or policies. They work efficiently to put changes in place to achieve their goals.
Mobilizers build energy by addressing challenges. Mobilizers relish opportunities to coordinate people and resources to achieve complex objectives.
Mobilizers are self-confident, decisive and know what they want. They use this drive and ambition to tackle challenges that others would not consider.
When faced with an obstacle, they will push through either by finding another way or driving harder. They are less likely than other types to give up on their goals.
Mobilizers are big picture thinkers who step back from immediate crises to view a problem from several perspectives. They view setbacks as opportunities for improvement and progress in the longer term.
Mobilizers are articulate and persuasive communicators. Mobilizers inspire others to help them achieve their ambitious goals.
Mobilizers can be overpowering. They drive their own agenda and overwhelm other people in pursuit of their goals.
Mobilizers can be blunt and even aggressive if people try to thwart their progress. They can be dismissive of people who are less decisive or articulate than they are.
Mobilizers respect those who are decisive, articulate, and focused. They can be condescending with those who do not show these qualities or who they feel are too emotional.
Mobilizers can fail to recognize the sensitivities of others. Their rationality, dominance and self-confidence can be hurtful to friends and colleagues.
Mobilizers can put their own goals and aspirations above all other factors. Mobilizers may dismiss emotional, relationship and political considerations as irrelevant. This can gain them enemies and lose them friends.
Pragmatic Mobilizers thrive in the workplace and fit well into organizational hierarchies. They are valued for their ability to get things done, their work quality and their clear communication. Additionally, Mobilizers look for challenge, the ability to learn, and the opportunity to prove their skills.
Mobilizers work hard and value learning opportunities including corrective feedback. They may get so caught up in work that they neglect their personal life. Some Mobilizers can learn to restore their capacity and mitigate burnout by practicing techniques to manage their energy and adopt a holistic focus on their life.
Mobilizers are agile and decisive. They can identify opportunities to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency in their organizations. They will take advantage of even bad situations to move them closer to their long-term goals. They are pragmatic and unemotional about what they do. They are willing to abandon plans that don’t work in favor of more effective solutions.
Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.
Mobilizers are sociable and enjoy working with others. Their ability to express thoughts and concepts clearly means that they find themselves in the spotlight. They are often chosen as a spokesperson, coordinator or project manager for the group.
Mobilizers are highly organized with strong project management skills. They can generate strategies, identify project steps, and monitor execution. Mobilizers are also adept at creating and implementing contingency plans. They enjoy change and the opportunities that it brings for them to establish order and control.
Pragmatic Mobilizers are clear and persuasive communicators. Their confidence, logic and energy are infectious. Mobilizers readily share their views and ideas with others. They are eloquent, able to think on their feet and answer challenging questions.
Mobilizers enjoy brainstorming with those they consider equals. Mobilizers will integrate new insights into their plans if they respect the source of the ideas. But they can come across as dismissive to those they do not respect or who try to deter them from their goals. Some Mobilizers can benefit by applying listening skills to help others share their views. This can increase their perspective, build stronger relationships, and drive change.
Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.
Mobilizers are outgoing and decisive and less assertive types can find them overwhelming. On occasion, they may be prone to making snap decisions, without considering all relevant factors.
Mobilizers may not always appreciate the social or emotional needs of others and may be more respected than liked. They are prone to stepping on other people’s toes in their drive to achieve their agenda. Some Mobilizers can benefit by applying emotional intelligence concepts. Identifying and managing their own emotional states can help them moderate their style.
Pragmatic Mobilizers are naturally drawn to leadership positions. They feel comfortable setting a direction, evaluating talent, coordinating and delegating tasks. Many Mobilizers also have the organizational skills to monitor and control the activities of others.
Mobilizers provide clear and objective corrective feedback. Mobilizers hold team members accountable for achieving their high standards. Because they are direct, their communication style can appear blunt. This can lead people to conclude that they have failed to consider their feelings. Some Mobilizers can improve by learning to communicate with greater empathy. This can help them build closer relationships with members of their team.
Mobilizers are natural strategic planners. Sometimes they may fail to involve others in identifying goals and plans. Or, they may engage only like-minded people in their planning process. This could impact the motivation and engagement of other people on their team. Learning how and when to solicit input from others can help some Mobilizers improve engagement in their team. It can also widen their perspective, improve solutions, and speed execution.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
Others often respect Mobilizers for their confidence and capacity to get things done. However, their tactics can appear ruthless to some. Effective Mobilizers invest time to build collaborative relationships with their people and peers. They take time to understand their needs and priorities. This helps them create the support they need to execute complex objectives.
Mobilizers are driven by a strong need for achievement. As such, they commit a significant amount of effort to meeting and exceeding their goals. As leaders, they may expect the same level of dedication from their team. Consequently, they may miss opportunities express gratitude or recognize them. Learning what motivates people can help Mobilizers tap into others’ needs. Applying simple recognition strategies can help them increase team effort and engagement.
Mobilizers relish the challenge of volatile environments and the opportunities associated with change. Yet, they tend to pay more attention to work based goals than the people side of change. They may not recognize that members of the team find change stressful. Learning how to help others process change may improve their leadership effectiveness. Helping their team members handle uncertainty and stress well will also mitigate burnout.
Pragmatic Mobilizers have an exceptional capacity for leading people. They have the strategic insight to see what organizations need. Mobilizers also have a natural affinity for marshalling people and the resources to get things done. They are more comfortable than most types in executive leadership roles.
At more junior levels, their ideal job gives them the scope to organize tasks and people. They appreciate opportunities that highlight their ability to get things done. Mobilizers also love building their capability to do more. Consequently, they value opportunities that allow them to deliberately build their expertise. They are drawn to jobs such as project management, management consulting, and logistics. They also excel in event management and media production.
Mobilizers are likely to be bored in roles which are transactional where they cannot show their skills. Mobilizers are not well suited to roles which require a high degree of empathy. Roles in social work and other caring professions may not be a strong fit.
I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse.
As naturally gifted leaders, Mobilizers can excel in almost any type of organization. They will be happiest in environments that give them the autonomy to define the strategy and tactics required to accomplish their mission. Mobilizers enjoy driving change through other people. Companies that reward competence and the achievement of results will resonate strongly with them.
Mobilizers set high standards of performance to which they hold themselves and others accountable. They have little patience for incompetence or inefficiency. Organizations that are highly bureaucratic, or that tend to reward everyone equally will frustrate them. Similarly, organizations that operate with narrowly defined job descriptions, prize compliance instead of results, or that base levels of authority on hierarchy rather than competence will not be satisfying to them.
Because of their great capacity for leadership, Mobilizers often find themselves in leadership roles early in their careers. Ironically, Mobilizers are less motivated by promotions and climbing hierarchies than by building competence.They move mountains to get things done. They can navigate organization politics, but this doesn’t usually drive them. Their real strength lies in getting things done through others. If they can balance their bias for execution with a strong focus on people’s needs, they will be successful in whatever they choose to do.
Too often, we leave our growth to random chance. That can be frustrating because we can’t always grow as fast as we want (or need) to! While experience can be a great teacher, there is no substitute for learning proven strategies to maximize our potential.
Pragmatic Mobilizers have tremendous capabilities. They also share some common challenges. Possible areas for growth for Mobilizers include:
Build stronger relationships with the people who matter most
Enlist support from key stakeholders and accelerate change
Increase your impact through effective communication
Enhance your interpersonal skills to strengthen relationships
Increase effectivess by embracing and involving others with diverse perspectives
Understand people accurately, appreciate alternate viewpoints and encourage honest, two-way communication
Enhance productivity and relationships through respect and appreciation
Be strong and productive in times of stress and uncertainty
Work effectively with others to deliver collective results
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