The Steadiness Personality

Introduction

  • High S personalities are team players with a desire to please and maintain peace and stability in a group, even if it means sacrificing their own personal goals.
  • They are noticed over time because of their consistent, steady work habits.
  • High S’s can make excellent leaders even though they are reluctant to aggressively step forward.
  • A High S leader usually bring consistency, support, and stability to the position and are just as productive as leaders with other personality profiles.

Biblical Characters Representing the High S Personality

  • Isaac, DorcasSpecialistPrimary High S
  • Nehemiah, MarthaAchieverS/D
  • Abraham, HannahAgentS/I
  • Jacob, AnnaInvestigatorS/C/D

General Tendencies of the Steadiness Personality

  • A Pragmatic Team Player: A High S evaluates choices from an orientation toward practical action or thought that stresses practical consequences. They give sound, practical advice.

►They are driven by harmony, agreement, and support.

►They often prefer to defer their wishes to the wishes of the group.

►They respond best to group decision making after everyone else has spoken and they have had an opportunity to process their thoughts.

  • Values Stability in the Home: Their need for security, peace, and support influences most High S people to place a tremendous importance on stability within their family.

►Conflict among family members tend to cause worry, stress and anxiety. This often causes them to avoid the conflict and let others take the lead in creating solutions.

►The High S is committed to loyalty and support. They will remain faithful to a spouse in prison, hospital, or military service in a foreign country.

  • Abraham: Because he illustrates practical choices, teamwork, and always striving to be a peacemaker, he is an excellent example of a High S.
  • Consistent: High S’sprefer the status quo and honor traditions.

►In the work environment they provide a stabilizing influence.

►High S leaders will hold off entrusting people with more difficult assignments until they have proved themselves to be consistent in lesser tasks.

►Example: Eliezer, Rebekah and Abraham worked together to achieve God’s will in Genesis 24.

  • Desires Order and Tranquility: The High S prefers a steady, predictable environment without change or disorganization.

►High S’s do well at handling routine tasks and will usually make sure everything is in its proper place.

►They are steady and predictable. Therefore, change is unwelcome. They will battle the forces of change. At work, even superior conditions or higher wages will not persuade them to change. In some cases, change can cause them to work less/slower.

►Abraham had difficulty with change in Genesis 12.

►When initiating change with a High S, recognize first that a slowed performance is a normal response. Give them time to process the change.

►Allow them to communicate with others who will be affected by the change.

Blind Spots of the High S

  • Is Fearful of Conflict, Loss of Stability, and Change: The steady, supportive, traditional aspects of this personality style create a need for acceptance and assurance. As a result, the High S often struggles with the fear of conflict and/or loss of a stable environment. One way they can avoid this fear is to ask people to give clear explanations along with practical reasons for the change. Once a change is announced, allow for some time to adjust to the idea. Do not anticipate immediate acceptance. In competitive situations, the fear of conflict is heightened.

Primary High S Personality

(The Specialist Personality)

I.Tendencies of High S Personalities:

Primary driveControlled, secure, stable

environment

Personal giftednessMaintaining traditions, constancy,

steadiness

Group giftednessTeam player, commitment to

follow through

Potential spiritual giftsHelps, Service, Mercy

Internal fearsDisharmony, confronting others

Strength out of controlProcrastinates, waits for things

to happen

Under stress becomesSeeks a compromise or avoids

making a decision

Blind spotsTaking ownership of their

individual significance

Needs to work onBeing more proactive, responding

rather than reacting

Best team membersI/D, D/I, I/C, I, S, C

II.Biblical Characters Representing High S Personality Traits:

  • Isaac
  • Dorcas

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsGen. 24:62-67; Gen 26:1-6
  • WeaknessesGen. 26:7-31
The High S Personality Traits
(The Specialist Pattern)

Positive Traits

  • High S’s tend to act in a methodical, routine process, always aware the amount of time to complete a tasks.
  • They are very consistent and perform excellent work day-in-day-out.
  • They prefer working quietly behind the scenes.
  • They are more appreciated after leaving a job or relationship.
  • See: Acts 9 the story of Dorcas.

Personal Giftedness

  • High S’s can maintain the pace that others start.
  • They show remarkable consistency of performance over long periods of time without fanfare.
  • Isaac’s life demonstrates this consistency.
  • See: Genesis 24 through 26.
Under Pressure
  • Under pressure, High S’s tend to adapt to those in authority. They often accommodate to changes rather than fight.
  • See: Genesis 26 Isaac was obedient to God when faced with a conflict with Abimelech.

Approach To Teamwork:

  • High S’s ensure follow through on a project or task
  • They are very supportive

Leadership or Management Style:

  • High S’s like a participative leadership style so that everyone has input.
  • They listen carefully to everyone’s input
  • They ensure follow through and follow up on tasks and projects.
  • They strive for peace and harmony.

Sensitivity to the Feelings of Others:

  • High S’s are conscious and attentive to the feelings of others
  • They try to avoid hurt other people’s feelings, stirring up controversy and they avoid conflicts.

Releasing Stress:

  • High S’s have a tendency to internalize stress
  • They will release their stress by sleeping.

Recovery from Emotional Stress:

  • High S’s will take time to do non threatening, routine activities (i.e. cleaning, reading, watching TV, gardening)

Making Spiritual Commitments or a Commitment to Christ:

  • High S’s are often persuaded by logical explanations and thinking

Strengths of the High S Personality:

  • Accommodating
  • Patient
  • Friendly
  • Calm
  • Good listener
  • Easy going

Complementary Strengths Needed:

  • Challenging (D personalities)
  • Spontaneous (I personalities)
  • Asking critical questions (C personalities)
  • Aggressive (D personalities)
  • Expressive (I personalities)
  • Concerned about details (C personalities)

The S/D Personality

(The Achiever Pattern)

1.Tendencies ofS/D Personalities:

Primary driveDiligence in taking ownership of

tasks, industrious

Personal giftednessFollow-through in completing tasks

Group giftednessStrong administrative skills

Potentialspiritual giftsAdministration, Service, Leadership

Internal fearNoncompliance to their standards

Strength under controlTends to be too direct, blunt and

demanding

Under stress becomesFrustrated and intense, impatiently

takes charge

Blind spotsNot seemingly aware that

relationships are as important as

tasks

Needs to work onBeing sensitive to people issues

over tasks

Best team membersI/D, D equal I, I, I/C, I/S

II.Biblical Characters Who Represent S/D Personality Traits:

  • Nehemiah
  • Joseph
  • Martha

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsNehemiah 2:1-7; 6:15
  • WeaknessesNehemiah 13:1-13; Luke 10:38-42

The S/D Personality Traits

(The Achiever Pattern)

Positive Traits

  • Industrious and diligent accurately describe the S/D personality.
  • They have tendency to be very intense when accomplishing something.
  • They can stop and chat for a brief time, but they tend to become impatient as they quickly refocus on the task at hand.
  • S/D personalities would be happier if they allowed themselves to relax and not be so absorbed in a task.
  • See: Martha in Luke 10:38-42.

Personal Giftedness

  • S/D personalities possess outstanding organizational skills and can balance process and product to achieve the desired results.
  • They make excellent administrators; having the ability to look at a goal and devise logistical plans to achieve it in a realistic time frame.
  • S/D personalities have the talent for establishing procedures and schedules with an accountability structure so that each member knows what they are to do.
  • See: Nehemiah 2-4. Nehemiah built the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days because he was a great organizer.

Under Pressure

  • S/D personalities can become frustrated and impatient with others because of their intensity for accomplishing personal goals and objectives.
  • When their instructions are not carried out, they can become demanding, which is uncharacteristic for High S personality and comes from the D traits that they also possess.
  • They need to learn to negotiate and work through circumstances with which they are in conflict.
  • See: Nehemiah 13.

The S/I Personality

(The Agent Pattern)

I.Tendencies of S/I Personalities:

Primary driveMaintaining peace and harmony,

security

Personal giftednessExpressing gentleness and

kindness

Group giftednessProjecting hospitality, being loyal

to friends

Potential spiritual giftsFaith, Hospitality, Mercy

Internal fearHaving to face dissension and

conflict

Strength out of controlOveruses kindness, compromises

self to maintain harmony

Under stress becomesGentle, accommodating,

internalizes conflict

Blind spotsBeing able to free oneself of

security blankets

Needs to work onBeing firm and following through

with actions

Best team membersD, D-I, D/I, I/D

II.Biblical Characters Who Represent S/I Personality Traits:

  • Abraham
  • Hannah

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsGenesis 18:1-33; 1 Samual 1
  • WeaknessesGenesis 16:1-6

The High S/I Traits

(The Agent Personality)

Positive Traits

  • S/I personalities have a special gift for caring.
  • They can be transparent in personal relationships.
  • They reach out to meet the needs of people in distress.
  • They often use their friendly, supportive style to persuade others to be forgiving in difficult situations.
  • See: Genesis 18:22-33. Abraham negotiates with God about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Personal Giftedness

  • S/I personalities create environments in which people feel comfortable sharing their concerns and problems.
  • Unconditional acceptance seems to come naturally to them, even toward people who have wronged them in some way.
  • They are an excellent model of a true friend.
  • The employer with an Agent personality is typically an open door manager. They give instructions in a caring, supportive manner.

Fears

  • S/I personalities fear aggression. They will do anything to avoid it head on.
  • If they cannot avoid confrontation, they will do everything possible to terminate a negative conversation, including verbally agreeing with their aggressors. Most would agree they would greatly benefit from the ability to withstand aggression and say no when it is appropriate.

The S/C/D Personality

(The Investigator Pattern)

I.Tendencies of S/C/D Personalities:

Primary driveTenacity, determination, never

gives up

Personal giftednessInvestigates, explores, and

determines options on complex

problems

Group giftednessDemonstrates unwavering

loyalty to close friends

Potential spiritual giftsService, Helps, Wisdom

Internal fearHaving to match wits with

strong personalities in selling

ideas

Strength out of controlUnbending, stubborn determination

Under stress becomesQuiet, worrisome, introspective

Blind spotsUnaware of people issues when

preoccupied in solving a complex

task/problem

Needs to work onConfronting difficult people issues,

expressing feelings

Best team membersI/D, D/I, I/C, I/S, I/S/C

II.Biblical Characters Representing S/C/D Personality Traits:

  • Jacob
  • Anna

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsGenesis 30:25-43;
  • WeaknessesGenesis 31:1-55

The High S/C/D Traits

(The Investigator Pattern)

Positive Traits

  • High S/C/Dpersonalities are tenacious and determined. Once they establish a goal, they never deviate until the task is complete.
  • See: Genesis 29. Jacob showed determination when he worked seven years for Laban in order to marry Rachel.

Personal Giftedness

  • Their value to the team is their excellent follow-through skills.
  • The prefer to work alone
  • See: Luke 2. The story of Anna is a good example of a tenacious person.

Under Pressure

  • Because of their tendency to quietly work alone, if they are in a disagreement with someone, they tend to internalize their feelings.
  • They will also remember for some time wrongs that have been done to them.
  • Instead of expressing their anger and forgetting about it, they store up a list of grievances, which in turn leads them to be suspicious of others.
  • Their suspicion of others leads to questioning the motives of others.
  • Learning to communicate their conflict with the person they distrust could help clarify if their concerns are correct.
  • See: Genesis 29-31. Jacob worked long hours for Laban and never complained, but internally he became increasingly angry at this father-in-law. When Laban accused Jacob of stealing his idols, Jacob released his built-up anger against Laban.

Needs of the Steadiness Personality

The High S personality’s greatest struggle is in an environment where there is continuous confrontation. The wise supervisor, parent or spouse understands that confrontation and conflict is not a useful strategy to motivate a High S.

Common Responses of the High S When Stressed:

  • High S’s need a stable, predictable environment if they are to feel comfortable.
  • Another primary need a High S is time to adjust to change. Without this “time buffer” their defenses arise such as silence, stubbornness and slowing down their actions.
  • They particularly need a home life free of conflict. If there is conflict in the home or if there is constant chaos, High S’s can experience various physical problems.
  • Example: In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah experienced extreme anguish over not being able to have children and developed stomach problems.

When A High S Encounters Stress

  • They engage in routine tasks without much results
  • Their partners often attempt to take control of the environment.
  • Their partners may become more confrontational.
  • The High S may retreat into a passive-aggressive mode by becoming uninvolved, being silent, and taking on the “turtle syndrome”.

Routine Action To Handle Stress

  • High S’s develop a sense of security within routine.
  • They may resist change which is frustrating to a High D or High I.
  • Example: Abraham waited patiently for God to fulfill His promise of giving him a son. However, Sarah, a High D, took another route to acquiring a son.

Partner’s Often Try to Take Control of the Situation/Environment

  • When High S’s become paralyzed by stress they have difficulty making decisions. High D’s and High I’s will attempt to make the decisions for the High S.
  • A High S would prefer to keep the peace rather than debate the issue(s). They believe that it is easier and safer to agree with someone else’s plan than to defend their own.
  • Example: Sarah decided to make a decision to obtain her long sought after child by having her maid have a child by Abraham.

Compliance With Passive Results

  • A High S will often react to change with compliance to keep the peace. Thus, they do not aggressively support new change.
  • Example: Abraham agreed to Sarah’s plan to banish her servant, but he did not get involved in settling the problem nor show support for Sarah.

Confrontation by Partner

  • A common mistake the aggressive partner (often a High D) makes in a crisis involving a High S is in thinking that if a little confrontation will move a High S to a little action, then more confrontation will move the High S further. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. More confrontation will cause inaction.

Passive-Aggressive Retreat: The “Turtle Syndrome”

  • The normal reaction of a High S to confrontation is to not get involved, or to retreat into a shell (turtle syndrome).
  • Abraham choose to not get involved with Sarah’s problem with Hagar.

Immediate Steps To Take In A Crises

  • Recognize their fear of change as being real

The High S’s fear of change and disorganization is as real as the High I’s fear of loss of social recognition and the High D’s fear of loss of control. Three steps can be taken to defuse the High S’s fear reaction.

►Recognize Their Fear as Real

►Allow For A Delayed Reaction

►Give Freedom to Ask For More Information and Process It

The Three R’s In Loving The High S:

Remember High S’s function best in an environment that is affirming and encouraging rather than antagonistic. The High S’s needs are: status quo, security within their environment, time to process change, affirmation and appreciation, and structured routines.

  • Responding To A High S

►Be non-threatening and patient

►Allow time to process and adjust to change

►Make allowances for family

  • Relating To A High S

►Use friendly tones when instructing

►Give personal, nonverbal acceptance and assurances

►Allow time to process information

  • Reinforcing The High S

►Repeat any instructions

►Provide hands-on reinforcement

►Be patient in allowing time to take ownership

Additional Information:

  • Allow Time To Adjust to Change

►High S personalities will go to great lengths to be accepted and to maintain stability within their environment.

►They accomplish this goal by neglecting their personal preferences and deferring to the wishes of others.

►Example: Genesis 12. God tells Abraham to leave his home and go to Canaan. Abraham had great difficulty fulfilling this directive.

  • Need To Keep The Status Quo

►Even though their circumstances may seem undesirable to most others, the High S prefers to maintain the status quo rather than change.

►Their fear of the unknown generally breeds feelings of insecurity, and they will usually avoid new ventures if at all possible.

►Maintaining the status quo can be unacceptable, especially when God says “Go.”

  • Make Allowances For Family

►The security of the family is critical to the High S, however, the fear of dissension and conflict can have an even greater impact.

►To the High S conflict is an unsettling emotion that threatens their environment and is viewed as something to be avoided at all cost.

►Example: Conflict between Abraham and Lot.

  • They Are Loyal and Supportive Of Those They Respect

►High S’s are loyal friends that will stay by you through difficult times.

►They are supportive of their family and friends by helping them meet their needs.

►They keep their promises.

  • They Seek Security Within Their Families

►They seek security within their families through stability.

  • They Need Time To Adjust To Change

►A High S needs sufficient time to adjust to any change and the opportunity to visually process information concerning the change.

►Example: Genesis 13:14-18. God gave Abraham time to adjust to his move to Canaan.

  • High S’s Need Personal Assurances of Support

►They often feel insecure before and after an emotional confrontation.

►You can help a High S during times of stress and pressure by giving them your personal assurance and support.