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EIA Celebrity: Oprah Winfrey
Please note that these are unofficial profiles only and have not been verified. Description is only based upon public information and may represent either primary or secondary MDNA profiles. This profile is intended for educational purposes only to demonstrate the possibilities of MDNA for those that have been personally assessed.
Oprah Winfrey
EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction)
Oprah Winfrey is considered one of the most powerful and influential women in the world. She is most known for the Oprah Winfrey show where she became the first African American woman to host a national daytime talk show. Oprah has created her own media empire including Harpo Productions, O the Oprah Magazine and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
We have profiled Oprah as an EIA based upon her biography and track record of media success. The EIA is a natural communicator and has the ability to draw the masses into a social experience. The EIA also has the ability to socially connect across any demographic and psychographic barriers. Oprah from a very young age lived in the social spotlight. She won an oratorical contest that granted a full scholarship to university. This set her on a path of continual opportunities to use her gifts for media and broadcasting.
Oprah’s MDNA really comes alive during her talk shows. As an EIA, she has an ability to connect and does not use prepared scripts. Instead of researching her topics, in her own words, she “wings it” to make everything conversational. Relying on natural talent, sharp communication and real-time audience feedback is what the EIA does best. Her show is also entirely a social experience for the audience. Between controversial topics to giving away new cars, Oprah has reached global influence by connecting with her audience as an EIA.
Oprah Winfrey is the quintessential representation of what it means to empower, inspire and attract others to a social movement regardless of barriers or industries.
If we had to make an educated guess on her secondary Motivational Profile, it would be CVS (Compelling Value & Stewardship). This is because of her generous philanthropic work where she uses her resources to fund social projects around the world. She is very generous with her time lecturing for free at churches, shelters and youth organizations.
EIA Celebrity: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)
Please note that these are unofficial profiles only and have not been verified. Description is only based upon public information and may represent either primary or secondary MDNA profiles. This profile is intended for educational purposes only to demonstrate the possibilities of MDNA for those that have been personally assessed.
Mark Zuckerberg
EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction)
Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard computer science student who along with a few friends launched the world’s most popular social networking website Facebook in February 2004. Mark Zuckerberg also has the distinction of being the world’s youngest billionaire, which he achieved in 2008. He was named “Man of the Year” by Time magazine in 2010. Zuckerberg currently is the chief executive and president of Facebook.
It was actually quite challenging trying to profile Mark Zuckerberg because of the movie The Social Network. Mainly because it is well documented that factually, the movie is about 40% accurate, and the film makers admit trying to simply make an entertaining film. Therefore the portrayal of Zuckerberg by actor Jesse Eisenberg was not exactly accurate either. It becomes even more difficult when reading interviews and anecdotes of the young billionaire’s personality.
After our analysis, we have profiled Mark Zuckerberg as an EIA. However the Facebook’s founder is not your typical EIA in terms of personality. We’ll explain this momentarily.
Our assessment is primarily based upon the company Facebook itself. Individuals aren’t the only ones that can have an MDNA Profile. Organizations have MDNA Profiles too. This MDNA Profile is expressed through the organizational vision, mission, culture and success. In our experience, an organization’s MDNA is always imprinted by its founder that birthed the initial vision. This is no different for Facebook which allows us to work backwards from the company, to its founder, Mark Zuckerberg himself.
Here are some quotes from Zuckerberg:
“Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. We do this by giving people the power to share whatever they want and be connected to whoever they want, no matter where they are.”
“People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time.”
When it comes to making connections and providing a social experience, there is no other profile better than the EIA. Facebook has connected so many individuals it is now considered the third largest country on the planet. The reason for this phenomenal global success is that Facebook delivers a social experience that is authentic and comfortable. In other words, as an EIA organization, Facebook empowers, inspires and attracts on a mass scale.
Zuckerberg’s own Facebook page aligns with the EIA profile. He is so open with details that an article in the New Yorker states, “Zuckerberg may seem like an over-sharer in the age of over-sharing.” There are many other public details that support our conclusion so we are comfortable with the EIA assessment.
So how does this explain Zuckerberg’s personality that often seems anything but EIA? It is well documented that the Facebook CEO is uncomfortable in public and is very private in real life. The EIA is typically flashy, enjoys the social spotlight and is often described as “a party waiting to happen.”
This can be easily explained by taking into account secondary MDNA Profiles. It is not uncommon for an individual to have learned the traits of a different Motivational Profile that appears to contradict his or her primary MDNA on a surface level. Our belief is his seemingly personality contradictions to his primary MDNA stem from his upbringing in a Jewish family and his academic focus. Of course, we admit this is only a theory until verified. (Maybe we’ll get to sit with this incredibly successful celebrity one day and find out. Here’s hoping!)
EIA Celebrity: Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad)
Fictional characters also can have MDNA Profiles. Typically every great character is based upon somebody in real life, except the persona and core traits are amplified. This makes learning the principles of their MDNA Profile much easier and a valuable exercise. Not to mention it can be fun and entertaining.
Saul Goodman
EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction)
Breaking Bad week continues at iamsynchronized.com! Recently, we profiled Walter White as a KWR (Knowledgeable Wisdom & Responsibility). One of our other favorite characters in the series is Saul Goodman portrayed by actor Bob Odenkirk.
Saul Goodman is easily profiled as an EIA (not to mention a highly dysfunctional one). His page on the Breaking Bag Wiki says it all:
Saul McGill, known by his professional alias Saul Goodman, is a former criminal lawyer and the former principal attorney of Saul Goodman & Associates. He operated out of a cheap strip mall office and ran over-the-top late night TV ads advising potential clients they’d “Better Call Saul” when in trouble with the law, promising “I fight for YOU, Albuquerque!”
Saul serves the lawyer and consigliere for Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, getting them out of several difficult situations over the course of their drug business operations. Dressed in flashy suits, Saul maintains extensive connections within the criminal underworld, and serves as a go-between connecting drug distributors, evidence removers, impersonators, and other criminals-for-hire.
Despite his sleazy, flamboyant appearance and mannerisms — punctuated by his outrageous low-budget TV commercials — Saul is a highly competent lawyer who is able to solve problems and find loopholes in order to protect his clients.
First, the EIA is a connector. The EIA always “knows a guy who knows a guy.” Goodman is no exception with his criminal exceptions. Second, the EIA knows how to leverage the social spotlight. And although considered cheesy and stereotypical, Goodman in the show knows how to draw attention to his legal practice. Third, the EIA knows how to manage appearances, often willing to invest in visual aesthetics to make a social impression. Goodman’s character is flamboyant and highly entertaining, which makes him a fan favorite.
Finally one of the core strengths of the EIA is knowing how to manage relationships. Goodman does this like no other using his communication skills and ability to read any social situation. Every network connection for the EIA is an opportunity. Goodman here is a master.
Some of the traps the EIA must avoid is using social manipulation and blurring ethical lines for personal gain. While the EIA typically avoids confrontation, Goodman had no problem is presenting ethically questionable options for his clients to solve problems, including manipulation, which he did quite often for his percentage of the deal of course. The EIA has to be careful not to “normalize” questionable practices as they can use their social influence in negative ways. Not everything needs a “spin” or can be “finessed” when one simply needs to take responsibility.
“If you’re committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it.” – Saul Goodman
There are real-life connectors, having the same talents as a Saul Goodman, that use their social influence for good. Instead of sleazy, the EIA can be sincere. Instead of outrageous, the EIA can be outgoing. And instead of manipulative, the EIA can move us like no other.
EIA Brand Culture: Victoria's Secret
What is the real success behind the Victoria’s Secret brand?
It’s all in the the EIA gift. Victoria’s Secret is a fantastic example of MDNA and Brand Culture.
The “Core Why” for the world famous brand was born when Roy Raymond walked into a department store to buy his wife a gift of lingerie. He had a horrible experience. He felt like the sales associate treated him like a pervert. Everything from the product design to the visual merchandising was wrong for him.
He then realized that other men had the same experience. So he decided something had to be done. First, his concept was to create a store where men would feel comfortable to shop. Second, the product would be sexy as sensual lingerie was not an accepted everyday fashion at the time. Finally, the name Victoria’s Secret was chosen in association with Victorian class with her “secrets” underneath.
The idea took off. He made millions at first.
Not much is known about Roy Raymond other than his suicide after selling Victoria’s Secret (we’ll get to that). But based upon his intrinsic motivation to start the lingerie brand, we would profile him as an EIA (Empowering Inspiration and Attraction).
The EIA is all about the social experience–their own and others’. Social Experience is the Brand Culture an EIA imprints as the DNA of a company. Roy’s idea was all about bringing men together for a social experience. It is not uncommon for the EIA to invest in appearance for the sake of social experience. Victoria’s Secret turned lingerie, which was at the time limited to being affordable, practical and reliable, into a sexy product, delivered through a sexy experience, designed to enhance the social experience of customers.
Yet Roy did not fully embrace the EIA MDNA within Victoria’s Secret’s Brand Culture.
The first Victoria Secret’s catalogs were all about sensuality and appealed to men. They verged on erotic. All the stores were designed to give the same sense with dark woods and a sensual ambiance. The issue was that this only appealed to men. Raymond did not understand that the social experience needed to expand beyond one gender into the masses. This is what an EIA is designed for. Reaching the masses with a message and starting movements.
It wasn’t until Roy Raymond sold Victoria’s Secret to Leslie Wexner that the brand’s true DNA and culture were realized. Wexner redesigned and modernized everything to appeal to both sexes. The social experience of buying unmentionables was no longer shameful or limited to men. But now it also embraced women’s social experience as well. Sexy lingerie became main stream–you could say it was a movement.
Tragically, Roy Raymond failed at recreating the same social experience in high-end children’s retail. He then took his own life.
Today, Victoria’s Secret is still a Social Experience Brand Culture. It appeals to the EIA in us all. What other lingerie line can pull off a fashion show like a rock concert and dominate media?
Victoria’s Secret Exposed and Challenged
The Social Experience brand must understand how to navigate the core competence of attraction. In other words, the EIA must understand what attracts others and why. The important principle behind this is reality. The EIA must embrace the reality of what is being attracted, positive or negative, and what needs to happen to attract properly.
An example of this is the Aerie lingerie line from American Apparel. How does another lingerie brand compete with Victoria’s Secret and attract a market?
Reality.
Aerie went complete in the opposite direction of Victoria’s Secret’s airbrushed and photoshopped visual approach. Aerie is embracing the realities of female body image. Aerie models are no longer touched up. They truly listen on social media to their target customer’s negative experiences of trying to buy lingerie that is appealing and fits without have a Victoria’s Secret body. The #AerieReal campaign has been a massive success. (A road that the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty had already paved.)
This is what happens when a Social Experiences Brand fully embraces reality to create a different type of social experience. Through social experience the brand really connects with their stakeholders. EIA stands for empowering inspiration and attraction. Aerie, targeting the 15-35 year-old female that is backlashing against the “frankenbeauties” in media that harm body image, is empowering and inspiring women while making them more attractive.
In our opinion, Aerie has figured out the real secret.
EIA Celebrity: Quentin Tarantino
There is something deeper going on with Quentin Tarantino these days. I have enjoyed most of his movies. Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction blew me away. But what had me curious in profiling Tarantino was his latest work. He is an EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction), but this isn’t just about entertaining movies.
The EIA’s core competence is Social Experience. Whenever you want to reach a mass audience, connect people, and cause a movement, you want an EIA. Tarantino has done all of this. He started off as an actor (very common for EIAs to be drawn to acting along with the IAF) but found his calling in writing and directing. One look at his resume and you can’t deny he has empowered, inspired and attracted audiences for years.
Here is just a snippet from his Wikipedia page:
Tarantino’s films have garnered both critical and commercial success. He has received many industry awards, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and the Palme d’Or, and has been nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time in 2005. Filmmaker and historian Peter Bogdanovich has called him “the single most influential director of his generation”.
One of his biggest criticisms is Tarantino’s approach to violence. It is common for the EIA to use his or her gift and attempt to “normalize” morally questionable perspectives. We’re not here to debate the use of violence in entertainment. However, if you listen carefully to his take on how he approaches violence, you will see it is all for the sake of social experience. He loves to play the audience like an orchestra. Watch this clip from a recent interview:
This is where things get interesting. Tarantino is now using his Brand Culture of the Social Experience to actually take on social issues on a mass culture scale. This is where the EIA truly finds success and fulfillment. When the gift to empower, inspire and attract is used to bring attention to a social issue, movements are born. History can change. This is where Tarantino could possibly be heading.
Watch this next snippet to hear a fascinating view on what Tarantino cares about and what he feels he is really contributing with his work.
Where Taratino ends up as a celebrity EIA will be very interesting (of course highly entertaining) to watch.
Please note that these are unofficial profiles only and have not been verified. Description is only based upon public information and may represent either primary or secondary MDNA gifts. This profile is intended for educational purposes only to demonstrate the possibilities of MDNA for those that have been personally assessed.
EIA Celebrity: The Making of Saul Goodman (Better Call Saul)
Have you been watching AMC’s Better Call Saul? It is basically a prequel to Breaking Bad that dives into the life of Jimmy McGill before he became Saul Goodman. The show is actually a perfect microcosm how how the EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction) gift develops (and goes terribly wrong) in many ways. You actually get a great inside look. This is healthy for the EIA to self-reflect and for those that want to understand how to empathize with the EIA.
EIA: Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
To really learn from this, watch this inside look into the characters of Better Call Saul–especially if you haven’t been watching the show itself.
The most important thing to understand is that every EIA starts with good intentions. The EIA loves connecting with people. They are one of the only two MDNA gifts that are intrinsically motivated solely by relationships (the other being IAF: Intuitive Alignment and Fulfillment). To the EIA, they want to be validated by their intentions as much as results. Nothing wrong with this.
This is, however, where the EIA can go off the rails. Where for some gifts like the DLF (Dominion Leadership & Fulfillment), the end can justify the means, for the EIA, intentions can justify the means and also justify a lack of any results in the end. Sometimes the EIA just does not understand how their methods can burn out social circles. While at the same time, an EIA can be driven so much by the opinions of others, they do very unhealthy things to make the world right–especially when it comes to confrontation.
Now remember, the EIA is intrinsically motivated by a relational heart. Their intentions are always for people. They want everybody to like them which is why we all do.
This is where we root for Jimmy McGill. He is always trying to do all the wrong things for the right reasons. We like him. Everybody does. But he just doesn’t see the reality of the web he is spinning. It all sounds good in “Slippin’ Jimmy’s” head, but to the rest of his social sphere, it’s just a con and they end up holding the pieces after the whirlwind passes.
Chuck McGill- KWR (Knowledgeable Wisdom & Responsibility)
We learn that Chuck is Jimmy’s older brother. The older brother from which Jimmy is desperately trying to win approval. Every EIA (and all other gifts for that matter), needs to take inventory of who they want approval from and why. Chuck is the accomplished lawyer. He does things by the book, and, just like every proper KWR, wants Jimmy to take responsibility for his actions. Chuck also judges his younger sibling because Jimmy got his law degree on the internet. As a KWR, Chuck is very proud of his academic achievements and won’t let Jimmy take that away.
Where Chuck is highly dysfunctional, other than being OCD and a disease called Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance Attributed to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF), more commonly known as Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), he is jealous. Chuck is jealous of Jimmy’s charismatic EIA gift. Everybody loves Jimmy. And because of this love everybody seems to enable Jimmy in his well-intentioned-non-reality
For both of the McGill brothers, all this family dysfunction boils down to their father. We learn this in Season 2 episode 5 titled “Rebecca”. This is also fascinating for me in how realistic the issue can be outside of a fictional TV show. But that’s for another time. (Pro tip: Don’t ignore your daddy issues. We all have them.)
And Kimberley Wexler, Jimmy’s love interest in the show? She is an IAF (Intuitive Alignment and Fulfillment). She is always sacrificing herself for the favor of others but has a huge, yet very conflicted, heart for Jimmy. The IAF longs to know other and be known on the deepest levels. Jimmy does that for Kim. All in all, the EIA to KWR combination between Jimmy and Chuck, and the EIA to IAF interaction with Kim Wexler are relationships we can all learn from.
As I have stated before, Jimmy Goodman/Saul Goodman, although a fictional character, is a very real cautionary tale for every EIA.
KWR/EIA Brand Culture: The Chef's Table
In season 2, episode 1 of The Chef's Table on Netflix, Chef Grant Achatz of the restaurant Alinea was featured. Chef Achatz is an amazing example of KWR (Knowledgeable Wisdom & Responsibility) fused what appears to be an EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction) restaurant experience. In other words, when it comes to Brand Culture, Alinea’s Core Brand Culture is KWR/EIA: Perfecting Precision through Social Experience.
The KWR Chef
Chef Grant Achatz has taken culinary precision to a whole new level. The KWR’s Core Brand Culture is “Perfecting Precision.” When a KWR runs a business, they take knowledge, information, wisdom and push it to new levels of perfection and precision. When it comes to food, the menu at Alinea combines science and every human sense, including emotion. In his story, Chef Grant Achatz talks about his pursuit of perfection and we can clearly see how precise his craft is. From how to make food float (a completely edible balloon made with sugar filled with helium) and the timing of every course, Chef Achatz is always pushing the boundaries. Another interesting aspect is how food is manipulated, just like information can be. A tomato is made to look like a strawberry and vice versa. Molecular information is manipulated to the delight of every diner.
Another sign of the KWR is how Chef Achatz developed passion for cooking. He was first taught the knowledge, in chemical details, on how food tastes good in which combinations (fries wrapped in pickle if I recall correctly). Once he had the knowledge, his intrinsic motivations were activated.
What is even more impressive is that Chef Achatz refuses to get comfortable with success. Alinea could easily create a “greatest hits” menu, making a pile of money without risk, but he has truly embraced the principle of responsibility. To this culinary master, he believes he has a responsibility to keep perfecting precision. Sometimes this means scrapping the entire menu.
You really have to watch the episode on Netflix to understand. There is a reason the term “molecular gastronomy” is used to describe this food.
The EIA Restaurant
What takes that food to the next level is the restaurant experience. Take a moment and watch this little feature on Chef Grant Achatz.
This is where Chef Grant Achatz has learned the secondary MDNA of EIA. The EIA is all about “Social Experience” when it comes to Core Brand Culture. At Alinea, everything, from the space to plating, is a social experience. They actually put food vapor into a pillow, under the plate, so that when you cut into the food, the pillow releases a scent of nutmeg, just to complete the whole experience. This aroma is meant to evoke memories of social experiences. This is KWR perfecting precision in an EIA social experience delivery.
The Power Combination
Every KWR benefits from an EIA. The KWR uses knowledge and takes responsibility for perfecting precision. But without the EIA to empower, inspire, attract and create a social experience, that KWR knowledge can stay obscure and never benefit the world. In the same way, the EIA can benefit from the KWR in that sense of responsibility, especially when it comes to timing. The KWR can slow the EIA down and make that EIA really think through actions before firing from the hip.
Working together, the KWR and EIA can be a powerhouse. Chef Grant Achatz and Alinea are just examples of this in action in one industry. Imagine the same being applied to others.
UCD/EIA Celebrity: Muhammad Ali
Please note that these are unofficial profiles only and have not been verified. Description is only based upon public information and may represent either primary or secondary MDNA profiles. This profile is intended for educational purposes only to demonstrate the possibilities of MDNA for those that have been personally assessed.
Muhammad Ali
UCD/EIA (Unyielding Conviction & Design / Empowering Inspiration & Attraction)
Muhammad Ali is arguably one of the most recognized global sports icons along with other superstars like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Known for his trademark, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” Ali won gold for boxing in the 1960 Summer Olympics and then would become the only three-time heavy weight champion. He is nicknamed the “Greatest.” Today, beyond boxing, he is known for his philanthropy and battle with Parkinson’s disease. He is the recipient of many awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
At first glance, it can be easy to mistake Muhammad Ali’s primary MDNA Profile as EIA (Empowering Inspiration & Attraction). Ali revolutionized the sport of boxing by the sheer power and magnetism of his personality. Ali thrived in the spotlight, where he was highly entertaining. You could say that Ali likely was the first celebrity-athlete in the modern sense of the term. In the words of writer Joyce Carol Oates, he was one of the few athletes in any sport to completely “define the terms of his public reputation.”
Upon closer examination however, one will see that Muhammad Ali was very intentional about his provocative showmanship. It was when Ali saw a professional wrestling show and determined that he needed to master the art of self-promotion. His EIA traits were very intentionally integrated into his career. Most certainly EIA is Ali’s secondary MDNA Profile.
Muhammad Ali’s primary MDNA Profile is UCD. Based upon our work with the Muhammad Ali Center, we have researched Ali extensively and even had the pleasure of interviewing the boxing legend’s wife Lonnie Ali.
The UCD is known for being ideologically driven and principle based. Ali’s historical battle with the United States government around refusal to be drafted for the Vietnam War aligns with this. He also lived by six core principles, which now are an integral foundation of all his social responsibility ventures.
“I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a ‘nigger’.”
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?”
Ali was a man of conviction. Issues were very black and white for him. And although he was very popular, he did not need social popularity to achieve his personal vision. He was willing to die for his beliefs which polarized his reputation to the masses. He was very competitive, especially after a loss. His training involved frontloading a heavy investment for victory against what always seemed unbeatable odds. These are all core UCD traits.
In the end, the UCD is all about challenging old and pioneering innovative paradigms. Nobody will argue that Ali did not change the world of boxing. And his legacy continues to change the world today.
“You lose nothing when fighting for a cause … In my mind the losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about.” – Muhammad Ali
Offline or Overload? In Case of Emergency...
Now that we have reviewed the entire relational spectrum, it's time to see how, in this context, the brain works in conjunction with MDNA gifts.
As we know, the brain has two halves. Left brain and right brain. Without getting into too much neurological detail, and for the sake of MDNA, we have labelled each side of the brain with a label based upon its generalized function:
- Left Brain = Truth in Action
- Right Brain = Joyful Relationships
Truth in Action to Offline
The UCD, SSA, and KWR can have a tendency to operate only in truth in action mode, and therefore, risk going offline. Going offline means your left brain has taken over and you are only thinking about who is right or wrong. It becomes all about what you think should be done, regardless of how it affects people emotionally. In this state, people can be cranky, need to be right all the time, and care less about relationships. This doesn't have to be expressed externally either. For example. the SSA will simply move behind the scenes and just go into "servant" mode.
Joyful Relationships to Overload
On the other side, the CVS, DLF and IAF, being all about relational engagement, can go into overload. This is when you overload yourself with emotions, or you overload others with emotions using your gifts. For example, an IAF can be flooded with all the details and freeze to the point of shutdown. The DLF and CVS also tend to flood others by pushing relational boundaries too far.
And as you probably already figured out, the EIA can go either way. This also means if your gifts cover the entire spectrum, you too can go either way, depending on the situation.
In Case of Emergency
If you find yourself offline, the best action is to spend time appreciating the joy of relationships. Spend time thinking about all that you appreciate and enjoy in others. Share how you feel versus just what you think. Don't take any action. Set what you believe as truth aside for a moment. Do not isolate. Communicate. Make maintaining relational connections a priority.
For those that get overloaded, take a moment to think of one small truth and put it into action. Don't worry about all the details. Don't worry about what others should or should not be doing. Set aside your relational expectations; especially unspoken social contracts. Identify the emotions you are feeling and consider the difference between appropriate and inappropriate response. Think. Plan it out. Don't try too much.
In both cases, these exercises will do wonders for your brain. The first step is to recognize when you are offline or overloaded. This is where others can help you. Practice makes perfect.
The Relational Spectrum: 4. EIA
The order of the MDNA gifts reveals a relational spectrum. The further you are on the left, the less relational engagement is required to synchronize with your intrinsic motivation. The further to the right, the opposite is true. To be clear, everybody needs relationships to be a holistic and healthy individual. In this series we will examine each gift on the spectrum.
EIA: Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
The EIA is right in the center of the relational spectrum for good reason. This is because the EIA is typically right in the center of every social network. The EIA is highly relational, like the IAF, while, at the same time, can relate to the more non-relational gifts easily. In other words, the EIA is equally intrinsically motivated to spend 1-on-1 time as they are with the social spotlight standing in front of large crowds.
Some describe the EIA as a "party waiting to happen," which is quite often true. Most importantly, the EIA can be a "social chameleon" crossing all demographic and cultural boundaries. This is very handy when diversity is valued.
If you are an EIA here is one tip: to embrace the multitude, you must also be comfortable with solitude. In other words, the more people you want to reach and influence, the more you need to be OK spending time alone. By virtue, the wider your social vision, the more possibility there will be of some people not liking you (the stronger your vision means, quite often, the stronger the opposition will be). This simply comes with the territory of being a visionary leader. Therefore, the more comfortable you are with your own skin, by yourself, the more effective you will be with everybody else.
The MDNA Weekend
It's Friday! And if you are looking for ways to synchronize your MDNA over the next two days, look no further. Here is how each MDNA gift can maximize the weekend. You may already have some of these healthy habits, but a reminder never hurts.
UCD
The UCD, of all gifts, needs the most time alone to recharge. You have no problems being alone and that is healthy. But see if you can purposely try to relate to someone for no other reason than the relationships. Have a random phone conversation to catch up. Have a coffee with no purpose but to appreciate and listen. This will help you stay balanced with co-workers later.
SSA
You probably have a laundry (even literal laundry) list of things on your mind to get done. Not only that, there is another list of requests people would like to get help on. Don't be afraid to ask someone to help you. Or in other cases, practice saying "no" a few times.
KWR
You may want to learn about something or hang out with a group that shares a common subject interest and expertise. That is great. Before your weekend, take a moment to think about some responsibilities you might be avoiding. Or maybe you have been in "analysis paralysis" about a decision and just need to make it. Try to incorporate them in somewhere.
EIA
Of course, you would love to be socializing and having a new (larger than life) experience. Maybe it is a party or an event. Connecting with people recharges you. Just don't be afraid to spend some time alone and being comfortable with yourself. Try contemplating this question: "If people didn't want to be around you, for no particular reason, how would you feel about yourself?" This is a great question for self awareness if you are EIA.
You could pretty much do anything and would be just fine with it. But as always, you want to maximize time and resources. Here is a challenge: try wasting some time just for the sake of wasting time. Even better, go give your time and resources to a random person that is not expecting it. Watch what happens.
DLF
Most likely, you have structure to your weekend, even if that structure means no structure. Your weekend might be packed or have intentional down time. You have it organized and will be as busy as you want to be. To challenge yourself, try letting someone else take over your agenda for a change. Let them lead you.
IAF
You have already thought through every detail for the weekend. Or you are worried about every detail that did not get covered through the week. Most likely it is both. It's time to rest and just BE. Don't worry about people's feelings, expectations or your relationships. Just BE. This is hard and only an IAF really knows what it means for them. Just BE.