Gold Athlete Style
According to the simple assessment you just completed, the majority of your strengths as an athlete are associated with the Gold Temperament as defined by the Four Lenses/Insight Personality System.
This doesn’t mean that you have a primary temperament of Gold, but that you prefer to act in Gold ways. This could be by choice, or it could reflect the way you were trained. Either way, if you exclusively use this style, you will be most effective with Gold coaches and athletes.
Athlete Characteristics
I want to be around people who are committed, disciplined, goal-oriented, careful, professional, hardworking, and dependable
It is important for an athlete to be committed to the sport and the team because it proves that they are there for the right reasons. They need to be willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to achieve their goals. If they are committed, then they will show up to practice on time, show up on game days ready to play, and if they can’t play, they cheer on the team from the sidelines. The commitment level from the athlete will go a long way in determining whether or not they can be successful in this sport. They have to be willing to put forth the effort and dedication necessary to succeed.
It’s also important for the coach to be committed to the team. Coaches are there for the athletes and the athletes are there for the coaches. The athlete must be willing to support the coach and vice versa. The coach needs to know how to coach effectively, and the athlete needs to be willing to listen to the coach. If they aren’t willing to listen to the coach, then they won’t benefit from what he has to say. They will also have a hard time putting forth the effort that they need to if the coach doesn’t push them enough.
It is important for players to be professional and dependable because there is a lot of work that needs to be done in a short amount of time. If everyone is working on the same page, it is a very positive and synergistic thing that creates positive, forward momentum. It’s easy to do this if you are consistent and have high standards. Players want to play for the right reasons, and they want to play hard.
The best attitude to have while playing sports is to focus on your responsibilities but keep your eye on the big picture
If you don’t give 100% of your effort, no one will. In sports, there are times when the game can be very unpredictable, and things can change in a matter of seconds. You cannot control everything that happens in a game. If you are not prepared mentally for what’s going to happen on the field or court, it could be a disaster for your team. You need to remain calm and confident at all times so that your teammates know that you are willing to do anything that is needed to help the team win.
Positive self-talk is a great way to stay calm while playing a game. You have to remind yourself how good you are and what strengths you have already achieved. When you feel like things are getting out of control, this helps to bring back confidence. It will help you stay on track because it will keep you focused on what you have done right in the past. You can’t let perfectionistic obsessions get in the way of fulfilling your responsibilities and accomplishing your mission.
When communicating with others I like orderly and controlled conversations that focus on setting and achieving goals
When communicating with others, I like orderly and controlled conversations that focus on setting and achieving goals because it helps me to get what I want. I also like to be able to control the conversation because it reduces the likelihood that I’ll get sidetracked and lose my train of thought. Being organized and focused is important to me, so I usually like to do things in a specific order, at a certain time, and in the right manner. I take my athletic ambitions seriously and like to work with others who are also professional, mature, and responsible. When I am in a position where I can lead or manage some aspect of the team, I try to keep my conversations authoritative, straight-forward, and organized.
I bring to a team stability, dependability, and direction
It is important for members of an athletic team to demonstrate the quality of stability and dependability because that can help ensure a strong team spirit. A stable member of an athletic team means that you are committed to the team’s success at every game. You play every game, and you don’t miss any practices or games because of injuries, even if that means you remain on the sidelines, encouraging your teammates. You are also reliable, consistent, and show your commitment to the team by being a good teammate to your fellow players, helping others on the team with their struggles, never quitting, giving your best effort at all times, avoiding distractions, and practicing hard.
Whether or not I am a team leader, I can be counted on to lead out and provide direction, whether it is in front of the team, or amidst the team, or behind the team. True leadership isn’t about power, control, or having all the answers; it is about providing support, structure, dedication, and progression to the goals of the team.
I want everyone on my team to demonstrate resolve, determination, and discipline
I want my fellow players to take the initiative and speak up when something needs to be done. Everyone needs to be willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. I want to see everyone, regardless of their experience or skill level, push themselves to the limit every single day. I want them to have a deep, internal resolve to be the best they can be. The only thing that’s going to separate you from other players is your ability to work hard and your willingness to go above and beyond.
Personally, I want my team to succeed, but I also want them to learn how to overcome obstacles, both internal and external, and use them as opportunities to grow. In sports, sometimes you win, but sometimes you fail. When we fail, we need to know how to fail well, with civility and honor, knowing that everyone did their best. Even if we know that a particular player has failed us, we can’t point our fingers at them with blame or cause them to feel worse about their failure. This is where we need to exercise personal discipline, integrity, and strength of character to rise up, work on our shortcomings, and get ready for the next competition.
I need a coach who is scheduled, authoritative, respected, and consistent
I’m a huge believer that having an athletic coach who’s a real authority in his or her field and someone who you respect or admire isn’t enough – they must also be scheduled, authoritative, and consistent. I like coaches who have a formal structure to their practices, who conduct well-organized practices, who are consistent with their instructions and discipline, and who don’t seem to make things up as they go along. They hold regular practices, set concrete goals, establish firm deadlines, delegate responsibilities, monitor progress, and frequently meet with team leadership. They focus on the fundamentals and approach everything in an organized, consistent, and predictable manner.
When given the chance to lead, I normally try to assert authority, take control, and execute plans
When given the chance to lead, I normally try to assert authority, take control, and execute plans because I believe that it is very important for managers to lead by example, and so I try to be a good manager. I take pride in being structured, orderly, and effective. I like to think about the future and try to set goals that I will accomplish. When I am working on a project, I like to get feedback from other people about my ideas, because this helps me to see how others perceive what I’m doing. I feel that it is important to work with people who are honest and straightforward and who are willing to help me succeed.
I like to make decisions quickly and with conviction, and I expect the same from others. I believe that most people would like to be organized and have the ability to stay focused. In fact, I have found that most people are more successful when they are able to control their own lives. For example, I like to be able to set my own goals, to accomplish them, and then to achieve results. I like to be able to control my own destiny and determine my own future. I prefer to be in charge of my own destiny rather than be dependent on someone else for everything.
I'm really great at planning, organizing, assembling
I believe every athlete needs a personalized plan for their health, their relationships, their finances, their career, and their contributions to their community. There’s no way to live without planning. If you don’t take the time to plan, you will have no clear vision of what you want to achieve. Which means you are not likely to achieve anything that has true value to you. You’ll be forced to take whatever comes your way, whether or not you want it. If you know what you want out of life, you better make a plan in order to achieve it.
Planning and preparation are not synonymous. You can plan in advance and prepare to execute, or you can plan in advance but not be prepared when the time comes. This is a classic problem for many athletes: how do you get started on the right foot? The answer is simple. You need to start with a clear plan. And then you need to make sure that you execute that plan so you can be prepared when it is time to compete. In my experience, many athletes spend too much time thinking about the future, rather than doing something about it today.
As an athlete, you need to get organized and assemble the resources you’ll need to help you execute your training plan. Do you have access to free weights, fitness equipment, and athletic gear? Do you have a place to train when the weather doesn’t cooperate? Have you organized your schedule and established daily routines, regardless of whether your teammates join you or not? Do you eat healthy foods on a set schedule? Do you keep yourself as safe as possible from communicable or infectious diseases? Do you have regular sleep schedule? If you plan for the worst, you will never be caught off guard when the unforeseen happens.
I have faith in my ability to establish realistic goals and persistently work to achieve them
I have faith in my ability to success because I establish realistic goals and persistently work to achieve them. Realistic goals are important in athletics because too many people think they can become the next celebrated athlete and earn a supersized paycheck. But in reality, if you work just as hard as every other athlete, you’ll probably become an average player who isn’t necessarily rich or famous. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dream big and shoot for the stars; you can, but you should also keep your feet grounded in reality. The top performers in any industry are successful because they invest above average amounts of time, money, and effort to take their game to the next level. Even if they were endowed with superhuman talents or abilities, if they didn’t consistently put in the time and effort to make the most of their strengths, they would be just another average player. To be successful in any sport, you need to know a thing or two about persistent and consistent effort, which takes a considerable amount of drive and commitment to succeed.
When working with others, I promote procedures, plans, routines, and schedules
To keep everyone focused and on track, the first step is to determine who will be in charge of the effort. A leader should be chosen to ensure that all tasks are met, and that leader doesn’t have to be a coach, it could be one of the athletes. This leader should make sure that all parties are working in the same direction and communicating effectively. The next step is to create a schedule for each player. Everyone needs to know what they need to do and when. Each athlete will need to make sure that they are prepared for every practice, game, and match. The schedule should include times for meals, training sessions, recovery periods, and everything else that needs to be done. When things go wrong, it can be very frustrating if you are not prepared and ready to perform. Of course, if you’re an athlete who is working in a solitary sport, where you don’t necessarily have a team, coaches, or trainers, you are the one who has to step up and develop the plans, procedures, routines, and schedules. And then, you have to execute them with as much leadership strength as you can summon up.
How Gold Athletes Shine
- Creating order out of chaos
- Exhibiting discipline and self-control
- Setting and achieving objectives and goals
- Paying attention to details and minutiae
- Following rules and directions with exactness
- Sticking to routines, schedules, and deadlines
- Keeping records accurately and meticulously
- Taking responsibility for their actions
- Fulfilling their obligations and commitments
- Being prepared for emergencies
- Policing, protecting, and defending others
- Conserving and allocating resources
- Sticking to a task until it is completed
- Keeping others focused on the task at hand
- Maintaining traditions and following customs
- Sacrificing for the good of the organization
- Bringing stability and structure to the world
How Gold Athletes Cause Stress
- Working too hard
- Being inflexible or unchangeable
- Becoming obsessed with unimportant details
- Trying to control too much
- Taking on too many responsibilities—can’t say “no”
- Being bossy and domineering
- Being too strict or stern
- Demanding or expecting too much from others
- Being pessimistic, gloomy, apocalyptic
- Being judgmental or preachy
- Imposing values on others
- Being ultra-conservative or reactionary
- Keeping their “heads in the sand”
- Being prudish or strait-laced
- Being high-strung, anxious, up-tight
- Worrying, fretting, and agonizing over little things
- Following the letter of the law with exactness
- Concentrating on production, quotas, statistics
- Being a bureaucrat, do-gooder, apple-polisher
- Planning and preparing in excess
- Rigidly following agendas and schedules
- Being obsessive or compulsive
- Not being able to stop themselves from giving advice
- Inability to relax and take what comes
- Getting lost in the details and missing the big picture
- Getting stuck in a rut
- Being too formal, boring, stuffy
How to Be a Better Athlete
As a Gold athlete, you probably possess some outstanding qualities such as assertiveness, concern, discipline, obedience, and persistence. These strengths come naturally to you and will help you find success. But have you maximized these virtues as well as the eight others that are associated with your temperament, or is there still room for improvement? And how are you doing at some of the other attributes that make athletes even more successful, such as compassion, gratitude, humility, tolerance, concentration, accuracy, efficiency, foresight, candor, courage, impact, initiative, and persuasiveness?
If you would like to measure how much virtue you currently possess, then please complete the Maturity Assessment on this website. It is free to you as part of your subscription. Then, if you want to work on your weaknesses and turn them into strengths, check out the 7, 13-minute Gaining Virtue lessons on each of the 52 virtues. Before long, you will be even more successful!