Hogan Reflection
After reading my Hogan Assessment, I found areas that both surprised me and affirmed presumptions that I had made prior to reviewing my results. The facet of my results that made the most sense to me was the heightened focus on strengths such as sociability, altruism, creativity, and security; however, there were other explanations that yielded questions and new conclusions about myself. Perhaps the most surprising scores were my most extreme. I tested extremely high in the thought leader column and rather low in the data category. I will address these thoughts and more by breaking down my scores in each category.
I scored rather moderately in the results leader category with a 23 in ambition and a 66 in power. My score for power seemed like a very apt description because I set very high expectations of myself and feel very bitter when I fall short of them or fail others. Conversely, I was disappointed with my low score in ambition. This is certainly something I would like to work on, while I think I have very high ambitions I do not think I always act in accordance or alignment with these goals. Therefore, I want to work on altering my lifestyle to be more cognizant of my ambitions and the proper mindset to achieve them.
My score in the people leader category was perhaps the most sensible and predictable score. This strength was my second highest score, and I am glad this rang through in my results given how much I prioritize compassion and thoughtfulness. For example, when I went to brunch with a friend and she looked cold I ordered her a hot chocolate (which she refused to order herself) and gave it to her when it arrived. I think this is a high score because of how I try to nurture people, but it reminds me that I also need to acknowledge when it is the right time to speak candidly with someone. This usually is not a problem, but there have been instances in which I wish I had spoken up against someone’s error but did not in order to protect their ego. This is something I can be knowledgeable about moving forward. I see my interactions with people as my primary strength, and I think my score in this category affirms that.
Moving on, my process leader score was also rather high as it was my third highest strength. At first glance, my high score in this area was surprising to me as I don’t always regard myself as being extremely detail oriented. However, I value security and responsibility incredibly high. I rarely tolerate errors, especially from myself, so I can see how this can be both a strength and a weakness.
After that was thought leader, the category in which I scored the highest. With an 87 in inquisition and a whopping 99 in aesthetics, I struggled to justify exactly what this extreme score entailed. On one hand, this score makes a lot of sense because I am so creatively inclined and attracted to the potential beauty around me, but on the other hand it shows my distaste for the details that don’t fit my aesthetic and my willingness to voice this opinion. I think my high score in this category says that I should try to be more conducive to other people’s tastes and opinions. Given that this is my strongest style, I think what I can learn is that I carry very strong creative opinions and that I shouldn’t let my thoughts dictate every decision. I think this strength does things to both help and hinder me, I just need to be more aware of which is which.
Similarly to the people leader category, my social leader score was mediocre, yet high. I believe this exemplifies that one of my core strengths is my ability to interact with others, cooperate, and learn from them. I need to remain aware that my prominent personality can sometimes overwhelm people and to remember to share the dialogue instead of commanding and directing it for myself.
Finally, my lowest scored category on the whole assessment was my data leader section. My struggle in this realm makes a lot of sense because I have always seen myself as a hands-on learner and found it difficult to retain information that is being taught to me. I think this is the area I want to change or improve the most. I want to be a more curious person both personally and professionally, and I think it starts with focusing more on the rewards of academia and encouraging myself to pursue what I don’t understand. I think I remember Robin Lu talking about his high score in this category, so I might reach out to him to inquire about his mindset when it comes to scientific subjects and approaching complex academic concepts.
