Style
Four
Description
–
Fours are vital to the health of any group because they're able
to view things from a new slant and aren't bound by
tradition. They can keep an organization from slowly dying out
of untested and outdated assumptions. More in touch with their
feelings than other styles, they're in danger of sinking into
moodiness
if they meet with resistance to
their ideas. The same talent that allows them to "look outside the box" can
leave them wondering why they never see things the way others do, and subsequently to
question if they're flawed. their conversations are ripe with sad stories. Their
driving force is envy, which shows up in dissatisfaction, a perception that
"the grass is always greener somewhere else."
Typical Comments
–
"People call me because they know I'll come at
things from a totally different angle." "I buy into the 'vale of tears' theory of
life." "I seem to feel things more deeply than others." "I always felt like an outsider as a child."
First-Order Change
–
Focusing more on strengths
and resources and less on the tragedy of life, learning to develop the
possibilities of their current jobs, shifting their moods through physical exercise or
creative outlets, reframing self-criticism in more positive ways, and championing a
program or process they believe in.
Key Development Need
–
Equanimity, the ability to live fully in the present moment.
Poems That Speak to
Fours
Worth Waiting
For
Out of the Box
