WHAT IS PERSONALITY?
Personality is the way we look, feel and behave. It is the totality of a person’s being – not merely the external appearance but also various other traits.
Personality includes the following:
Character Traits:
• Integrity: a person’s honesty in dealing with others, loyalty to one’s beliefs, value systems etc.
• Acceptance: by others who come into contact with a person, and recognizing and accepting them as a whole.
• Discipline: refers to a person’s disciplined approach to life and work.
• Dedication: refers to the commitment a person shows towards the achievement of individual as well as group goals.
Behavioural Traits:
• Interpersonal skills: the way a person develops and sustains interpersonal relations with all those he/she has dealings with – bosses, co-workers, fellow students, customers/clients, suppliers, private and government organizations.
• Communication skills: refer to the effective way a person communicates with others through various channels – writing, speaking, listening, and using positive body language.
• Leadership qualities: refer to the qualities which help a person behave in a leadership position – getting work done willingly, exercising participative leadership style, and be a role model by setting example.
• Team management: refers to the effectiveness with which a person demonstrates ability to build and manage team in order to achieve the desired goals and objectives.
• Stress management: the quality of keeping cool in stressful circumstances, identifying the factors causing stress, and finding solutions to reduce – if not eliminate altogether – the stressors.
Attitudes:
• Positive attitude: be able to have a positive attitude even in the face of difficulties and impossible situations, and be willing to try out ideas in the face of obstacles and hardships.
• Win/Win situation: be able to negotiate and bring around the other person to an acceptable solution to a problem – thus creating a win/win situation for both the parties.
• Keep the end in mind: be able to focus on the ultimate end (goal) in mind bypassing the various problems that may crop up on the way.
• Synergize: be able to combine or work together in order to be more effective, or to make things or people do this.
TYPES OF PERSONALITY
There are several types of personality people have. Some of these are:
• Perfectionists: They are never satisfied till they achieve perfection. Sometimes people forget that there is nothing which can be absolutely ‘perfect’; it may be rather very close to the idea of being perfect. Such people are usually a source of stress for themselves as well as for others working with them. However, such people cannot be categorically criticized for aiming at total perfection as they tend to achieve excellent results.
• Helpers: They are always willing to help others in times of need – with guidance, advice, resources etc.
• Romantics: They are sometimes called dreamers and think of innovative ideas which sometimes people think are impractical. But sometimes the craziest idea can lead to a wonderful new design, product or service. Quite often the world moves on the shoulders of dreamers! If we can’t dream, we can’t think, we can’t imagine, we may not be able to act on some new idea.
• Achievers: These are the people who are determined to achieve what they have planned for. They put all their efforts in performing to their utmost capacity, show dedication to the task in hand, and ultimately reach their goal. It is the expected sense of achievement that propels such people.
• Asserters: These people neither remain passive nor aggressive in any situation. They rather assert their rights, respect the rights of others, and have the innate ability to convince others and thus elicit cooperation from all.
• Questioners: They are ‘Doubting Toms.’ They question everybody’s opinion, behavior, ideas, way of working etc., and quite often are dissatisfied with the outcome. Others quite often misunderstand such people and consider them to be obstacles to progress.
• Adventurers: They are ever ready to take risks in order to reach their goal. No risk is too big for them, and so they believe in experimentation with an adventurous spirit.
• Observers: There are some who are great observers of people and things around them. They visibly – or surreptitiously sometimes – observe people, events, things, environment etc., and are often a source of important information which others might not have noticed. Quite often such people are good at analyzing things, events, people etc.
• Peacemakers: They avoid confrontational situations, and always take initiative in making peace with different parties who may be at loggerheads with each other.
We cannot say that every individual can be categorized into only one of these. More often than not, we have several characteristics common to the above-mentioned types. However, one particular characteristic may be dominant in one person, and another in the other person. So which one are you? Think about it!
Which of these personalities do you possess? Drop your comments, like and share! Most importantly subscribe as we will further talk about personal development in the next article.
