Open Water

The Strategist

Like the open sea — deep, always moving, and it carries whatever it takes on.

The Strategist wants to keep moving and find out where it goes.

What it’s good at

  • Seeing the shape of the whole thing while everyone else is working on one part of it
  • Carrying a plan through several changes of direction without losing what it was for

What it costs

  • Water that deep cannot be read from the shore, so people routinely have no idea where they stand with you

That cost is the same trait from its expensive side — they come together, and a version without the second would not have the first.

The work this suits

Deciding what to do before anyone can see what is going on — strategy, planning, the ambiguous middle of things.

And what it costs at work

Being read. People routinely cannot tell where you stand, so trust arrives later than it should.

Where that shows up

  • Strategy
  • Investing
  • Product
  • Planning and forecasting
  • The pre-decision middle of anything

Examples, not a prescription — plenty of Strategists do none of these and are very good at what they do instead.

Who lifts them

Their element feeds this one.

Who pushes them

Their element controls this one — harder going, and the reason it sharpens up.

Who they lift

This element feeds theirs, so this is the one putting energy in.

Who they steer

This element controls theirs, which makes these easy pairs to get things done in.

Same footing

The same element, running the other way round.

Is this you?

One date and the app tells you which of the ten you are — and shows how it got there.

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