Growing Talent to Strength: Featuring StrengthsFinder 'Intellection'

"Let me think about this further."

People with Intellection in their top 5 Gallup StrengthsFinder results love to think. They enjoy exercising the “muscles” of their brains, stretching them in multiple directions. In contrast to those with the Input theme, who learn and grow by acquiring new information, those with the Intellection StrengthsFinder theme learn and grow by asking questions and thinking through concepts. People exceptionally talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. At their best, people with Intellection offer great advice and often come across as wise to others. The desire to contemplate and reflect also means that they are often the ones who will take time to inspect their own lives. This constant inspection of life events brings those with Intellection to a higher level of self-awareness.

People with Intellection have a need to understand people, situations, or ideas on a deeper level. They generally need space and time alone to muse and reflect. The genius of Intellection talents stems from the deep processing that occurs when they think. Wisdom and clarity result from their ability to muse for long periods of time.

Depending on the other StrengthsFinder themes found in their dominant strengths, this need for mental activity may be focused: for example, they may be thinking deeply to solve a problem (Intellection interacting with Restorative) or they may be thinking deeply about a philosophical issue and wanting to learn deeper (Intellection interacting with Learner). However, this mental activity may also very well lack focus. The Intellection theme does not dictate the topics that they like to think about; it simply describes their fondness for reflection and introspection. To a person with Intellection, thinking is synonymous with doing; in fact, they tend to dislike thoughtless approaches to any given scenario. They love the theoretical because they believe that it is the precursor to the practical, and they pride themselves on being a source of understanding and wisdom to their friends and family.

In Strengths School™ Singapore, I'm one of the few who has Intellection in my dominant StrengthsFinder themes. I enjoy thinking through the nuances of any concept that I’m learning or person I’m getting to know. At the end of each day, I muse on the new information I’ve gained, pose questions, and test out answers in my mind. There is a constant mental hum in every moment of my life – and while this would sound draining to some people, the perpetual mental activity actually invigorates me. For the same reason, I am someone who is very comfortable with solitude: rather than being bored by the lack of external stimulation, I enjoy it because the time alone is a great time for me to imagine entire realities and think through deep philosophical concepts.

How can a person with Intellection turn this talent into a Strength? 

1. PRACTICE PUTTING YOUR THOUGHTS INTO PLAIN LANGUAGE

The genius of the Intellection theme is in their ability to think deeply about situations, projects, and issues. Yet because of the depth of thought and command of language they bring to the table, they can often be intimidating to those with lesser talents in this theme. It would therefore be helpful for them to practice putting their thoughts into plain language so that others can better understand their thinking. For example, whenever they have insights they would like to share with others, it would be helpful to have a process by which they identify any outcomes they would like to achieve by sharing their insights, or perhaps find stories that would help people better relate to their points.

2. IDENTIFY LIKE-MINDED PEERS YOU CAN CONVERSE WITH

People with the Intellection StrengthsFinder talent theme do not feel threatened whenever others challenge their thinking. On the contrary, they feel stimulated by it, as they take it as a sign that others are giving consideration to their thoughts. In fact, whenever they find like-minded peers who are able to engage with them in intellectual conversations, they enjoy these exchanges and find themselves energized by the discussions.

It would thus be helpful for those with the Intellection theme to find a group of friends – though not necessarily all in the same group – with whom they can engage in intellectual discussions. These conversations will excite them and sharpen their thinking.

3. SEEK COMPLEMENTARY PARTNERSHIPS

Partner those with Activator

People with Activator have a powerful ability to translate thought to action. They bring energy and momentum to their relationships and workplaces. In contrast, people with Intellection are energized by the process of thinking. They bring depth of thought to conversations and feel stimulated when they are tasked to think through projects well. Partnering an Activator would push those with the Intellection theme to act on their thoughts and ideas, thus not letting great ideas stagnate in the think tank while also allowing projects to move forward intelligently.

Partner those with Communication

People with Communication are talented in finding the right words to make their messages come alive. They’re externally focused, and they love sharing stories and ideas with people. In contrast, those with the Intellection talent theme are internally focused and tend to introspect a lot. Such a partnership encourages those with Intellection to find the best ways of communicating their insights to others, thus sparking intellectual conversations and stimulating their thinking as well as that of the people around them.

Partner those with Focus

People with Focus enjoy zooming in on their overarching goals to make sure that every decision they make is aligned with the overall direction they want for their lives. The genius of the Focus theme is in their ability to concentrate intensely on a task or direction, thus enhancing the speed and quality of their performance. In contrast, people with Intellection enjoy asking questions and processing information and data, examining issues from multiple angles. This partnership encourages those with Intellection to focus their ability to think deeply and thoroughly on the overarching goals they have for their work or lives.

Concluding thoughts: People with the Intellection StrengthsFinder theme bring a depth of understanding and wisdom to their workplaces and relationships. Because they need time to process, they may sometimes appear aloof and distant even when they’re sitting right opposite from you. However, this does not mean that they’ve disconnected from you; rather, it is more likely that they’re simply thinking through something that was just said. So when engaging with someone with Intellection, be prepared to give them time and space to think – they will appreciate the latitude, and your conversations will be all the richer for it!

Written by Tan Meiling

Responsibility • Learner • Relator • Belief • Harmony

As a Gallup-Certified StrengthsFinder coach, Meiling is passionate about helping people discover their innate potential and celebrating who they are. To that end, she enjoys writing articles and regularly posts on her blog, MeilingTan.com. Meiling is also actively giving StrengthsFinder coaching to individuals and facilitating workshops in Singapore.