Supportive traits are like great personal assistants that help us navigate through life’s challenges more smoothly. From handling day-to-day responsibilities to tackling complex issues, we often and consciously rely on these trusted aides—our supportive traits—knowing that they are capable and reliable at what they do. Ultimately, living in the absence of our supportive traits is akin to losing both our arms; we would struggle tremendously to function without them.

Your habits shape your identity,
and your identity shapes your habits.

James Clear

As our supportive traits come naturally to us, we tend to employ them effortlessly, as if we are writing and drawing with our dominant hand. Therefore, we often take our supportive traits for granted, not realizing how valuable they are to someone of a different archetype. If left unchecked, we might even run the risk of overusing them, preventing other parts of ourselves from flourishing.

Like our dominant traits, our supportive traits are simply facets of our personalities. Whether they are strengths or weaknesses is entirely dependent on the way we utilize them. If we cultivate and develop our supportive traits well, they can become valuable additions to our toolbox of super strengths. However, if we use them in an unhealthy manner, the same traits will ultimately lead to our undoing.

As effective communicators, Visionaries are always concise in their speech. They can easily digest complicated subjects and explain them to others in a simple and logical manner. By focusing on the central themes and concepts of a topic, they find no trouble keeping their explanations succinct and coherent. Essentially, Visionaries say more with less, and their knack for communicating will always ensure that they get their message through loud and clear.

Yet, there is more to the art of speech than merely being concise. To be truly convincing, one ought to speak with tact. Sadly, this is rarely the case for Visionaries. When they share their insights, they are likely to be brutally honest, crudely saying things as they are. Even when they mean no harm, their bluntness might come off as rude or even condescending to others. No matter how clear their message may be, without tact, nobody will listen to what they have to say.

If that’s not bad enough, some Visionaries might also be overly confident in their own knowledge and opinions. Thinking that they know best, they may dish out unsolicited advice to the people around them, without considering the possibility that they could be wrong. Not only is there a chance of Visionaries misjudging the situation, others might also see them as overbearing and intrusive to their lives.

Visionaries waste no time in putting their plans into action. As natural leaders, they effectively mobilize others to get things done, moving mountains in the process. They will ensure that even the toughest of projects are easily subdued through strategic resource management. Thinking long-term, they would allocate people and assets for the entirety of a project far in advance. Undoubtedly, wonders can be achieved with the effective leadership and foresight of Visionaries.

However, Visionaries may be too headstrong in achieving their goals. Fixated in their ways, they might overlook the needs of people in their quest for progress. Some may even gain a reputation of insensitivity, as they often fail to respect the boundaries and privacy of others when they demand for better performance. This kind of behavior would only put unnecessary strain on a Visionary's interpersonal relationships, leaving them with more things to manage than just their work.

At a certain point, it may seem like Visionaries merely treat the people around them as a means to an end. Those who cannot meet their high expectations would be seen as nothing but a burden to the plan. Even minor setbacks can trigger a hostile reaction from the Visionaries who have little tolerance for incompetence. If they fail to appreciate others, they will likely burn through people quickly and lose support over time.

When crises strike, people look to Visionaries for profound and effective solutions. Instinctively, Visionaries know to look beneath the surface, discerning the root of any problem and tackling it with great precision. It is simply a fact that most problems require logical and fundamental solutions in order to achieve long-term results. By taking this approach, Visionaries are sure to be at the forefront of progress and reform, wherever they may be.

While it is important to address problems promptly, Visionaries should be cautious not to jump the gun at times. After all, insights differ from person to person. Visionaries who are unaware of their inherent biases might fail to consider the other aspects of certain issues. If they get ahead of themselves, their haste would only result in simplistic solutions, making problems even worse than they already are.

Visionaries who are set in their ways may be resistant to identifying the specific facts of a problem, relying instead on their own assumptions. Closed off from new perspectives, Visionaries might offer vague insights that are unhelpful, selectively using reasons to justify their universal solutions. Over time, people will start to question the credibility and effectiveness of their advice, resulting in a growing sense of doubt and skepticism towards their ideas.

Thus far, we have explored both the Visionary's dominant and supportive traits. In our jargon, these traits are known as one's heroic traits. Think about it, don't we all look like heroes when we put these traits to use? Not just wannabe heroes, but real ones—those who are truly powerful yet unimpressed with their own abilities.

Superhuman strength and the ability to fly are awesome superpowers that we all wished we had. But Superman doesn't pride himself in any of those abilities. To him, using those powers to save the world is just another day on the job. Similarly, even though we are great at our dominant and supportive traits, we do not find them the least bit amazing. From our perspective, there is nothing special about these mundane things that we do every day.

That said, as heroic as our traits may seem, no hero in the world is perfect. Even the most powerful heroes, such as Naruto, Thor, or Wonder Woman, have their own flaws and weaknesses. However, that does not invalidate them as heroes; it only makes them all the more admirable. The same goes for our own heroic traits. They may not be perfect, but our strive to improve them is what sets us apart.

I am not a hero. I just did what any
decent person would have done.

Miep Gies

When our heroic traits bask in the light, they will inevitably cast shadows—traits that we tend to neglect. Our shadows are foreign to us, as they are the complete opposite of our natural traits. Because we fear what we don't understand, most of us will subconsciously push away or suppress these parts of ourselves. Unfortunately, if we allow the fear of failure to overpower our minds, these suppressed shadows will eventually swallow us whole.

Nevertheless, shadows are not our weaknesses. They are simply parts of ourselves that we are unfamiliar with, and therefore, would rather avoid. But if we harness our shadows, they will eventually become our hidden strengths. It may be daunting at first to explore these dark and unknown parts of ourselves. However, with a curious mind and a compassionate heart, there's nothing to be afraid of. With that said, let us venture deep into the shadows within us.

Read next section →
Shadows Within [Visionary]