Riddle test page 001 Who are your top animal influencers? Start your self-awareness leadership journey by taking our Training Rock Animal Influencer Test. Based on your answers, we’ll use easily-recognisable and memorable animal influencers to help you better understand your strengths, fears and vulnerabilities, with accessible language to think and talk about them. Armed with this greater self-awareness, you’ll be in a better position to get the best out of yourself – and to interact more effectively with your colleagues. Once you’ve completed The TRAIT Test we’ll share our insights with you via a series of emails. Some tips before you start: Try to keep ‘sometimes’ answers to a minimum. Answer the questions quickly – your first answer is likely to be the most accurate. Be honest. Ready? Go… Ant – creative, hardworking, always on the move What do I think I’m like? A creative, motivating multi-tasker. Happiest when I’m at the heart of where the action is. Always got new ideas brewing. What do I do that can get in my way? Constantly on the lookout for new stimulation. Easily distracted and can spread myself too thinly. Projects don’t get completed before I scarper and start the next one. I bounce/escape from unpleasant feelings very quickly. Always busy but not necessarily productive. What’s it like to be around me? People like to involve me in their projects because I’m creative and enthusiastic. I bring energy and joy to most situations that I’m involved with. Others can find my jumping around chaotic and have difficulty keeping up with my constant change of direction. It can be unsettling and sometimes exhausting to be around my nervous energy. Relationships can feel shallow. What does the ant need to remember? Some things are best not spread too thin. Me. And peanut butter. Cat – clever, analytical, aloof What do I think I’m like? My decisions are based on facts, data and analysis. More productive when working alone; feelings and emotions detract from getting the job done. I’m not the most touchy-feely person but I’m a key team member. What do I do that can get in my way? An over reliance on analytical thinking can diminish useful intuition. Can come across as overly sceptical, cynical or aloof. Depth of relationships can be limited due to analysing rather than feeling. What’s it like to be around me? I’m relied upon for my brilliant, analytical mind. It can be intimidating to work with me as I can be perceived to be intellectually arrogant or secretive. My scepticism can be difficult to work with. Because I don’t often share my feelings, people can feel uncomfortable sharing theirs with me. What does the cat need to remember? None of us is as smart as all of us. Cheetah – competitive, results focussed, driven What do I think I’m like? I’m a successful, high performer. A hard worker who will do what it takes to achieve the goal. Happiest when there’s a target to aim for. What do I do that can get in my way? Focus exclusively on results which can come at the expense of enjoying the journey. Rarely take time to enjoy success because I’m already chasing the next goal. Relationships can suffer at the expense of achieving the target. Being constantly competitive can be lonely. What’s it like to be around me? Can be energising, providing the team is included on the journey. For others, I can be exhausting to be around. Lack of warmth and inclusion can lose people along the way. What does the Cheetah need to remember? If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Dog – generous, people person, empathetic What do I think I’m like? Helpful, supportive and enjoy making people happy. I’m usually the one who makes sure everyone’s ok. People come to me when they need something. What do I do that can get in my way? Ignore my own needs in order to ensure everyone else’s needs are met. Don’t like asking for help in case people think I’m needy or weak, but then can feel resentful when my needs are ignored. Can exhaust myself by constantly trying to please everyone else whilst not looking after myself. What’s it like to be around me? I’m kind, empathetic and a key part of any team. It can be frustrating because my need to please people can detract from me being honest and clear. People overlook my needs because they don’t know what they are. What does the dog need to remember? Put my own oxygen mask on first. Hedgehog – introspective, perceptive, able to heal self and others What do I think I’m like? I’m intuitive and understand how people’s minds work. I am very loyal and it upsets me when other people aren’t. I’m good at overcoming challenges, of which I have more than my fair share; I’m a survivor. What do I do that can get in my way? When I compare myself to others, I sometimes feel that I get less than my fair share of luck. When I am struggling, I worry that I might push people away if I tell them how I really feel. When things are feeling particularly tough, I tend to withdraw and hope that people will help, but get disappointed when they don’t. What’s it like to be around me? I notice when others are in difficulty and usually find a way to connect with them. Pessimism can overshadow my strengths. I can be unpredictable because I don’t always make my needs clear. What does the hedgehog need to remember? Other people don’t have my intuition; I need to let them know what I need. Honeybee – perfectionist, methodical, attention to detail What do I think I’m like? I’m organised and methodical and get things done the right way. I have higher standards than most other people. People rely on me to set up effective systems and processes. What do I do that can get in my way? My attachment to ‘my way is the right way’ can result in me being dismissive of others’ input. When others don’t meet my standards, I tend to become frustrated. Sometimes my perfectionism can lead to over work and if I’m not careful, burnout. What it’s like to be around me? I’m respected for my logical approach to systems and process challenges. Others may find matching my perfectionist standards a challenge and stop trying. When I don’t listen to others’ solutions, I risk creating tension in the team. What does the Honeybee need to remember? There is more than one right answer – it takes both sunshine and rain for a flower to grow. Lion – controller, direct, straight talker What do I think I’m like? I lead my projects to succeed and make sure everyone does their bit. I say it how it is so that everyone knows what’s what. Others are lucky to have me because I make sure things happen. What do I do that can get in my way? I can be confrontational and then surprised when others get hurt or aren’t as enthusiastic as me. I am likely to achieve well in the short term, but long term I risk losing people if they feel unheard. People can feel intimidated by my style and this may inhibit them contributing. What’s it like to be around me? People often rely on me to lead as I will push myself and the team towards the goal. It can be intimidating to challenge me (would you challenge a lion?) even though I might not mind being challenged. My straight talking, direct communication style can come across as critical or angry. What does the lion need to remember? I can’t control the wind and the rain, but I can learn to surf. Meerkat – alert, protective, sensitive to others’ feelings What do I think I’m like? It’s important to me that I am protective of myself and others. I am sensitive to others’ moods and feelings. Regardless of how hard I work, I rarely feel on top of things. What do I do that can get in my way? Anxious, always on the lookout for problems even when there are none. I can be doubtful of other peoples’ motives, to the point of being suspicious. I use up a lot of energy worrying which can be exhausting. What’s it like to be around me? I’m a good early warning system for when something’s about to go wrong. People feel safe to share their anxieties with me. My anxiety can magnify the reality of the challenge which can affect people’s trust in my judgement. What does the Meerkat need to remember? If less time is spent worrying about what could go wrong, there’s more time to get excited about what could go right. Ostrich – peacekeeper, non judgemental, adaptable What do I think I’m like? I’m the peacekeeper in a team. I see all sides to a story. I ensure everyone’s voice is heard. What do I do that can get in my way? I can be indecisive because I don’t want the impact of my decision to upset anyone. I focus on others to avoid shining a light on my own challenges. I sidestep conflict which can result in things festering, which can then become bigger problems. What’s it like to be around me? I can fit in to any team. I can be relied upon to see the wider perspective. My need to be positive can mean I lose sight of the importance of giving honest feedback. What does the Ostrich need to remember? Blow out the candle before it starts a fire. I am highly competitive. Status and public image are important to me. I feel worthy when I am successful and achieving and I feel useless when I am not. As soon as I achieve one goal, I immediately line up the next one. For me, it’s not the taking part which counts, it’s the winning. I have difficulty challenging, in case it causes conflict. Procrastination is my middle name. I’m an expert at finding reasons not to do what I know I should be doing. I rarely lose my temper, but when I do it’s not pretty. I like to allow difficult situations to resolve themselves, rather than stepping in and complicating matters. In a group situation, I’m most comfortable when I’m in charge. If I’ve got a good idea, I’m assertive enough to overcome any objections to make it happen. People rely on me to step in and move things forward when progress is slow. I won’t hesitate to make the right decision, even if it’s unpopular. I’m known for being a straight talker and direct in my communication. I worry about putting my needs ahead of other people’s because it feels selfish. I love it when people tell me they don’t know what they’d do without me. I spend significant time supporting and checking in on other people. I help other people more than they help me and that can make me feel resentful. I tend to focus on relationships rather than results. I’d choose a complicated spreadsheet over dealing with people any day. Better decisions would be made if people could keep their emotions in check at work. People rely on me to ensure all the data is accurate before a final decision is made. Although I wouldn’t say it out loud, I’m likely to be the cleverest person in the room. I’m happier working alone, rather than in a team. I have a short attention span and need to jump from idea to idea to keep stimulated. I need to have fingers in lots of pies to prevent boredom. I need variety and excitement to avoid me getting angry-bored. I’m more of a starter than a finisher. I’ve got a creative mind and am always full of ideas. I find it difficult to ignore other people’s mistakes and usually feel compelled to fix them. I can’t help but be a perfectionist; I hold myself and others to a very high standard. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I usually know what’s best when it comes to systems and processes. When it comes to organisation and logical methods, that’s where I shine. My success comes from planning and attention to detail; not winging it. When things go wrong, I find it difficult to bounce back. I often feel sad and unmotivated. When my needs aren’t met, I prefer to withdraw and be on my own. When I compare myself to others, I feel envious. I can feel lonely even when I’m surrounded by people. I am more anxious and worried than others around me. I spend a lot of my day on high alert. I feel suspicious of those around me. Others tell me I worry too much. Even when things are going well, I’m waiting for something to go wrong.