I would never have imagined that I’ll be working with one of the best next-generation leaders in my entire life under one local church. Working with Pastor Ryan the past two years has been an enriching experience for me and my leadership. It is refreshing to have someone in the team who almost has the same “thinking theme” (for the strengthsfinder people), and who works to make sure the big picture is served.

One of his strength is to spot problems that human eyes might not see. He brings problems to light and thinks of solutions to nip the problem. His influence on the team and his dedication to making great things happen have brought wonderful results in our local church.

There are days where I would say to myself, “How I wish every organization has a person who can spot problems and find creative solutions.”  That is what you get when you have a team member who has a restorative theme in his strengths finder profile.

According to Gallup research, a restorative theme is:

You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences. But what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this thing-this machine, this technique, this person, this company-might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it.

Leaders, we have to face the reality that in leadership- bumps and problems along the journey are going to happen no matter how hard we pray that it won’t. In so many ways, problems come our way to mature us and stretch us. It would be wise for any leader in an organization whether it be church or business to have someone who is energized to spot problems and do something about it.

Thanks Ryan for bringing problems to light and showing to us there is always a solution to a problem!

For those interested to know your themes, you can purchase the book below: