Faculty/Staff Responses
Bernie Dana
What strength best describes you?
I often think that "strategic" describes me pretty well, but I am convinced that even that strength has to be put into the context of my other strengths (acheiver, learner, arranger, and belief) to fully understand why it describes me.
What’s one piece of advice you would share with students about their strengths?
Understand how your strengths relate to your motivation, and while developing your strengths, also develop self-control so that you maintain balance in what you are motivated to do. For instance, achiever is one of my strengths. I get a lot of fulfillment from achieving things personally and collectively with others. That fulfillment motivates me to sometimes take on projects and roles that can easily affect the balance in my personal, work, and spiritual life.
How do your strengths benefit your role at Evangel University?
I don't know that my strengths necessarily benefit my roles at EU, but they certainly affect how I choose to perform those roles. There are a lot of other things besides my strengths that factor into my performance. For instance, the opportunity I had to gain over 30 years of business and leadership experience strengthens my ablity to teach. My continued involvement in the long term care industry help me to stay practical and grounded rather than theoretical. My wonderful parents and upbringing that did not include much material blessing but built lots of faith that God provides has a definite effect on the values that are part of my "belief" strength.
Additional comments regarding strengths?
It is really helpful to know your strengths so that you can better understand how you can best perform the roles assigned to you, and even grow to understand the roles that best fit your strengths. However, it is important to grasp that the Gallup research that produced the StrengthsFinder also produced research on what makes a manager/leader effective. The effective manager/leader is the one who understands the strengths of his/her subordinates, works with them to define the desired outcomes, and then enables them to develop and use their strengths to achieve those outcomes (First, Break All the Rules by Buckingham and Coffman). When you move into leadership, the focus is no longer about your own strengths; the focus is all about the strengths of your subordinates and how you can help them to develop and use them. This is consistent with lots of other research on leadership as revealed in books like Good to Great and Leadership Challenge. It is also consistent with the concepts of transformational and servant leadership. Best of all, it is consistent with the teachings of the Bible. As Christians, we need to lay our God-given strengths at the feet of Jesus every day and ask Him to enable us to use them to serve others and to do His good will.
Lacey Nunnally
Top 5 strengths
WOO, Focus, Connectedness, Achiever, Developer
What strength best describes you?
It depends on the day. I can either be driven by WOO or keenly focused and flowing in achiever.
What’s one piece of advice you would share with students about their strengths?
It is wise to embrace your strengths in your freshman year and allow them to be developed during your time at Evangel. For Example, make an appointment with a Strengths Advisor because they can help you gain insight into your Strengths and advise you on how to develop them further.. Look at how you can use your strengths in every aspect of your life here and then upon graduation, you will integrate them into interviews and resumes.
How do your strengths benefit your role at Evangel University?
My strengths match my role at Evangel and it amazes me. I get to develop new programs, students, achieve new things, and have a blast with my WOO strength at the same time. A person with my strengths dislikes being micro-managed and Evangel gives me the freedom to not only teach, but be involved in the local community.
Additional comments regarding strengths?
I want students to embrace the free gift given by LifeWorks (strengths code) and use it to the max! In addition, don’t date without knowing your date’s top 5 Strengths, no joke!
Becky Rhoades
What strength best describes you?
Communication-because I talk too much
What’s one piece of advice you would share with students about their strengths?
I don’t think there is a better tool for job preparation. Awareness and developing your strengths is a great experience for job preparation-not just getting the job-but the right job that fits you.
How do your strengths benefit your role at Evangel University?
My strengths direct me in the tasks I take on. Obviously I teach, but I also stay away from committees that require long range planning because I am not futuristic. I like projects that I can activate right away to make happen.
Additional comments regarding strengths?
I love them. I just love them. I love them. It is a positive focus. Its so much more efficient that focusing on remedial.
Geoff Sutton
What strength best describes you?
Ideation. I enjoy generating new ideas about how to do things.
What’s one piece of advice you would share with students about their strengths?
Focus on two or three strengths at a time. See how they play out in your life...how they work together. Enjoy discovering how your strengths help you enjoy life and serve the greater community.
How do your strengths benefit your role at Evangel University?
Well, I teach research courses so my strengths fit well with my position. I gather all kinds of new information from research papers and conferences. I read a lot. Then I generate lots of ideas for new projects. Input and ideation are like fuel to an engine. I see my analytical strength as helping me sift the new input and critique my ideas. My strategic strength helps me find ways to make things happen and my competition strength helps me encourage students to do their best. I enjoy taking students to conferences where they can present their research findings. I like the idea of winning as a team and winning for our school.
Additional comments regarding strengths?
Working from a strengths perspective makes so much sense to me. Focusing on weaknesses is no way to run a successful enterprise--especially the life God has given to us.
Amy Englert
What strength best describes you?
Strategic. I love problem solving!
What’s one piece of advice you would share with students about their strengths?
Own them; and figure out how they can sharpen you.
How do your strengths benefit your role at Evangel University?
Strategic and Arranger are very helpful in my job in Conference Services. Every event is most successful when the right people have the right details. I love coordinating and coming up with solutions, and sometimes alternative solutions, for each client’s needs.