TRUE COLORS OF LEADERSHIPPresenter: Kimberly Pratt

OUTLINE• Welcome & Introduction• What is your TRUE Color?• Scenario I- Primary Color Work• Color Descriptions

• Strengths & Weaknesses• Scenario II- Group Work• Assessment• Leadership Styles• Victory Within TRUE Colors

INTRODUCTION• Personality Testing and Categorizing

• Ancient Greece-Hippocrates and the body fluids/temperaments• Ancient Asia-Elements

• Earth, wind, fire, water and metal• 1962- Isabel Briggs Meyers & her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator- 16 Types• 1978- Don Lowry “True Colors

“SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEIR TRUE COLORS ARE… WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR CORE VALUES AND NEEDS ARE AND FEEL

GOOD ABOUT THEM, YOU CAN PERFORM AT YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE. AND WHEN YOU SHARE A WORKING, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF

OTHER’ CORE VALUES AND NEEDS, YOU HAVE THE BASIS TO COMMUNICATE, MOTIVATE, AND ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS WITH UTMOST DIGNITY, EFFICACY,

AND MUTUAL RESPECT.”

~Don Lowry, creator of True Colors.

INTRODUCTION• The Purpose of True Colors is to improve recognition of your own

personality while welcoming similarities and differences in others.

• What is your personality style?• BLUE?• GOLD?• GREEN?• ORANGE?

FIND YOUR TRUE COLORS• Complete the provided worksheet, ranking each group of words from one

(1) NOT like you through four (4) MOST like you.

~Keep In Mind • You will see aspects of each color in your personality• You will discover a primary and a secondary color. These are your favored styles• The colors you do not select will have some characteristics that represent you; however

they are not your favored styles• True Colors is beneficial for fostering your success in working with others; however, as a

short, self-reported assessment is not 100% accurate

True Colors Personality Quiz

Describe Yourself: In the boxes below are groups of word clusters printed horizontally in rows. Look at all the choices in the first box (A,B,C,D). Read the words and decide which of the four letter choices is most like you. Give that a “4”. Then rank order the next three letter choices from 3-1 in descending preference. You will end up with a box of four letter choices, ranked from “4” (most like you) to “1” (least like you). Continue this process with the remaining four boxes until each have a 4, 3, 2, and 1.

A 4 activeopportunistic spontaneous

B 2 parental traditional responsible

C 3 authentic harmonious compassionate

D 1 versatile inventive competent

E curiousconceptual knowledgeable

F unique empathetic communicative

G practical sensible dependable

H competitive impetuous impactful

I loyalconservative organized

J devoted warm poetic

K realistic open-minded adventuresome

L theoretical seeking ingenious

M concerned procedural cooperative

N daring impulsive fun

O Tender inspirational dramatic

P determined complex composed

Q philosophicalprincipled rational

R vivacious affectionate sympathetic

S exciting courageous skillful

T orderly conventional caring

A,H,K,N,S orange = B,G,I,M,T gold = C,F,J,O,R blue = D,E,L,P,Q green =

Example Line

SCENARIOThe Partnered Student Funding Committee at Orchard Grove University spends an immense amount of time in the

Spring Semester listening to inquiries from various groups and organizations concerning allocation of the Student Fees for the upcoming year. The students are selected to sit on the committee each spring semester to serve for the subsequent year. It is an honor to serve on this committee and involves a spirited election process from the student body.

Liam is the Partnered Student Treasurer, and as such, serves as the chairperson to the Funding Committee. He has devoted a great portion of the fall semester notifying other committee members of their responsibilities and guiding them through the allocation policies and procedures. This will be his fourth year on the committee, three acting as chairperson. He has always had a phenomenal group of colleagues to work with and looks forward to the allocation process again.

Nevertheless, Liam is facing a challenge he hasn’t in previous years. Two of his committee members, Tina and Josh, have been rarely attending meetings and have neglected to attend training on the allocation process. He has contacted both of them by email and phone to see about rescheduling a smaller training session for them, but he has not heard back from either of them.

Yesterday, he bumped into Tina. She apologized that she had missed the training and that she would prepare for next Tuesdays meeting. This particular meeting includes petitions from three groups seeking program funding. Liam told Tina he would put the funding proposal in her office mailbox and asked her to prepare questions regarding the requests.

When Tuesday arrives, Liam goes into the office prior to the funding meeting and notices both Tina and Josh’s mailboxes still contain the proposal information for that day’s meeting. Leading Liam to assume that neither one of them read the proposal information nor would be prepared for the meeting.

Liam is uncertain on how to proceed. The committee requires a substantial dedication from the members as they are distributing thousands of student dollars to university groups and organizations. However, the positions are elected, so Liam has little authority over individual committee members’ performance. This is a first for him and he doesn’t have an idea on what to do.

SCENARIOQuestions• If you were in Liam’s situation, what would you do? Why?• Can and should you dismiss volunteers and/or elected officials? Why or

Why not?• We all fall down on our responsibilities now and then. How would you

want to be approached if you were Tina or Josh and not fulfilling your commitments? How do you plan to approach others who are not doing their fair share?

BLUES• Relationship Oriented

• Enthusiastic• Sympathetic• Warm & Friendly• Great Communicators• Peaceful• Flexible• Honest• Compassionate• Sincere• Imaginative• Harmonious• Cares about others and their experiences

Surprise!

Possible Career Paths: Counselors, Educators, Public Relations, Communications

GOLDS• Structure Oriented

• Sensible• Prepared• Detailed-Oriented• Faithful• Conservative• Likes Rules• Traditional • Likes Routine• Organized• Cooperative• Practical• Dependable for comfort, ideas, & support

Possible Career Paths: Computer Programming, Finances, Business Administration, Health Care

Really?

GREENS• Cognitive Oriented

• Logical & Wise• Philosophical• Investigative• Problem Solver• Accurate & Efficient• Knowledgeable • Calm• Studious• Visionary• Determined• Goal Oriented• Determines what motivates others

Possible Career Paths: Actor, Architect, Criminal Lawyer, Writer

Did you see this one coming?

ORANGES• Impulse Oriented

• Spontaneous• Eager• Generous• Witty/Funny• Physical• Courageous• Realistic• Hands-On• Competitive• Open-Minded• Direct• Enjoys prestige, challenge, & the win

Possible Career Paths: Advertising, Athlete, Secret Service, Comedian

T-I-double"guh"-errrrr, that spells Tigger!

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSESBluesTheir strength is their ability to encourage and collaborate. The Team BuildersGreensTheir strength is their ability to think methodically and purposefully. The Natural AnalystsGoldsTheir strength is their sense of accountability and obligation to the organization. The Team BackboneOrangesThe strength is their ability to multitask effortlessly and sense of determination when the situation calls for it. The Troubleshooters

BluesTheir weakness lie in over-personalizing of organization problems and hold grudgesGreensTheir weakness lie in their propensity to make things more complicated than necessary and they are impatient with incompetenceGoldsTheir weakness lie in their inflexibility and narrow focus of rules and regulationsOrangesTheir weakness lies in their indifference to routine and being too focused on now at the expense of future

SCENARIOYou are ecstatic to start your experience as a student leader after a few days of training

where you were introduced to 10 new members and two returning leaders, Amanda and Heather. The returning student leaders are very cooperative in sharing information and insightful-most of the time.

You are beginning to discover their participation and opinions to be domineering, mainly because they appear to be clinging to last year’s methodology. Like yesterday, the team was suggesting ideas that could potentially become programming prospects but Amanda and Heather brought up ideas that were successful and not successful from last year. They discussed in length about how certain events operated last year. And today, someone proposed that the team use sidewalk chalk art to welcome people to campus. Both ladies interrupted the discussion stating that using chalk was so juvenile and last year they created professional banners as welcoming pieces.

You are observing the other team members are becoming frustrated with the unrelenting “last year” references. So much so, they are discussing ideas and purposely leaving Amanda and Heather out of the conversation. You realize that if this frustration persists it could damage the overall productivity and success of your team. You suspect that Amanda and Heather do not realize their behavior and responses are causing closing off the creative process and sharing of ideas, which ultimately can have a poor impact on the team. What can you do in this situation?

SCENARIOQuestions:• Do you think there is an issue in this situation?• How can the team find balance between the insight of returning students

from last year experiences and fresh ideas for this year?• Are there any solutions for not driving the team members apart from the

beginning?

ASSESSMENT• How did you work with together?• Were you able to resolve the conflict that may have occurred between the

personal styles?• Where you able to identify the weaknesses and utilize your strengths to

work through the scenario?• What did you discover from each color/style?

LEADERSHIP STYLES

ORANGE• Expects quick action• Assumes flexibility• Works in the here and now• Performance oriented• Welcomes change• Institutes changes quickly• Expects people to “make it fun”

GREEN• Expects intelligence and competence• Assumes task relevance• Seeks way to improve systems• Visionary• Analytical• Encourages change for improvement• Constantly in process of change• Expects people to follow through

LEADERSHIP STYLES

GOLD• Expects punctuality, order, & loyalty• Assume “right” way to do things• Seldom questions tradition• Rule oriented• Detailed/thorough approach • Finds change difficult• Prolonged time to initiate change• Expect people to play their roles

BLUE• Expects others to express views• Assumes “family spirit”• Works to develop other’s potential• Individual oriented• Democratic, unstructured approach• Encourage change via human potential• Change time allows for sense of security• Expects people to develop their potential

VICTORY WITHIN TRUE COLORSThriving with a GOLD Individual

• Be prepared and tidy in work and appearance

• Be Honest• Plan ahead of them• Be Direct• Respect their need for constancy and

tradition• Be Reliable and Loyal• Support their need for structure and

security

Thriving with a GREEN Individual

• Respect their preoccupation with ideas and logic

• Realize they care but may not express their feelings

• Respect their knowledge & wisdom• Think ahead; Future forward thinking• Help with commonplace details• Praise their ingenuity and intelligence

VICTORY WITHIN TRUE COLORSThriving with a BLUE Individual

• Respect their need to get to know you• Take a inventive approach to problem

solving• Be sincere and truthful• Cooperate as a team• Show that you value and appreciate

them• Be supportive

Thriving with an ORANGE Individual

• Be direct and right to the point• Respect their lack of structure and

need for freedom• Join in the game with them • Compliment their kindness and

sense of humor

REFERENCES• What is True Colors? - True Colors Intl. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from

https://truecolorsintl.com/about-us/what-is-true-colors/• P., & Sipe, L. (n.d.). True Colors. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from https://prezi.com/fsqy7naubrmb/true-colors/ • True Colors: Exploring Personal & Leadership Styles. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://

bonnernetwork.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/70546645/BonCur.TrueColors.pdf Adapted from• Klumpyan, T. J., Phillips, J., & Strickley, V. (2009, July). Student Life Case Studies Reproducible Case Studies, Assessments,

Activities, and Self Tests. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from https://tamuct.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/institution/studentactivities/Student_Leader_Training-Part_3.pdf Contributions from PaperClip Staff. Edited by Laura L. Betti, Julie Phillips. Designed by Joellen Collins-Cardona

• Orange, Gold, Green, Blue, Your True Colors – Yes, That’s You! (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://lifetickler.com/your-true-colors-test/

• True Colors Personality Types of some Famous People in History - True Colors Workshops | Edmonton to Kelowna. (2014). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://www.truecolorsworkshops.com/true-colors-personality-types-famous-people-history/

• De Anza College :: Robert Clem :: True Colors. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://deanza.edu/faculty/clemrob/truecolors.html

• True Colors Personality Quiz. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://www.phigam.org/document.doc?id=5286 • True Leader Colors. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://www.boostconference.org/PDF/2012_workshops/The

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