The Thomas Concept - Pattern VII

Another apology owed to my loyal blog readers: I'm off schedule again. Life is what it is, and sometimes it feels like I'm drowning in the pile of must-do's and need-to's. My blog posts were one of the things that had to get shifted to the bottom of the list in order for me to survive this past week. But I tackled life the way I usually do, like a black lab with a rawhide bone--steady and determined until the whole thing is annihilated. I am in control, I have conquered the to-do list with lots of coffee (and two minions who Must Help when Momma demands it), and I am ready to blog on-schedule again.

I'm nearly finished with the series on The Thomas Concept with its patterns of strengths. I use them for creating believable characters. Today's post is on Pattern VII. This one is special to me because I'm a Pattern VII. I understand it, live it, and get it. Now lets see if I can communicate it. 

The Pattern VII person is "self-assertive, forceful, decisive, ambitious, action-oriented, vigorous, resourceful, adventurous, enterprising, self-starting, self-confident, competitive, aggressive, outspoken, active, doer, energetic, and takes initiative." 

Relationship Strengths: the Pattern VII person puts her focus of attention on personal goals, is fully dedicated to winning, never gives up, expresses her thoughts and feelings, takes charge, and is impatient to get into action.

Vocational Strengths: the Pattern VII person takes calculated risks, gives leadership to practical projects, starts new ventures, tackles difficult challenges, and is effective in personal sales.

Wants Others To: the Pattern VII person wants others to respond: "Don't just sit there--do something, even if it's wrong!" She also says what she thinks, many times coming off as tactless or rude, and she wants others to speak the same way: directly. She wants others to give loyalty and active support, and her motto is "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

The Pattern VII person can be compared to either the ESTJ (Supervisor) in the Myers-Briggs system or the ISTJ (Inspector). I'm an ISTJ, but some of those Pattern VII traits apply more to extroverted folks than introverts. Also, I'm not ultra decisive, although that could be a vitamin D deficiency or something. These patterns aren't meant to be all-inclusive, so feel free to tweak these character traits to more fully fit your character. If it works best for your Pattern VII character to be not quite so adventurous, you can make that work.

Famous Pattern VII people include Reverend Billy Graham, George W. Bush, and Katniss Everdeen.

(Photo of Katniss Everdeen compliments of wikipedia)

Adding stress to the Pattern VII person's life is fairly easy: saddle them with a lazy partner. Nothing ticks off a Pattern VII person than someone who refuses to pull their own weight. Also, Pattern VII people tend to be rule-followers and sometimes even rule-enforcers. Introduce an antagonist feels he's "above the law" or a side-kick who bends the rules to accomplish the objectives quicker, and your Pattern VII hero will be ultra frustrated. It's not stated above, but Pattern VII people also tend to be moral and find comfort in religion. Give your Pattern VII character a crisis of faith to shake things up a a bit, or pit them against someone who is amoral or down-right evil. 

Any other ideas about adding conflict to this hero's life? Please share. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile when I see comments in the comments section below.

-Sonja