Hello, I am Brian Cooke. 

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

When I am not coaching, I enjoy sailing because it tests my navigation skills, connects me with friends, and rewards effective leadership and teambuilding.

While it is possible to steer a safe course without a chart or finish a race with a quarrelling crew, it is faster and more enjoyable to use a reliable map and build a happy, winning team.

In business and at sea, there are many maps and teambuilding tools to choose from. Some are better than others.  And each map or tool has a different purpose and level of detail. So, be sure to choose the map or tool that is best suited for your objectives.

Although I coach clients who use other data and methods to develop people, I recommend PDP tools because they excel at linking leadership and team strengths to business and organizational outcomes. 

Based on thousands of PDP coaching sessions with high-performing leaders and teams, I am hopeful these notes will help strengthen your leadership communication and accelerate progress toward your most significant goals.

No matter the map or tools you choose, we will be healthier and more successful together when we better understand ourselves and the diverse strengths of others.

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile  at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

What is PDP?

A quick, accurate, reliable tool to:

·       help leaders hire, manage, and develop their people

·       coach people to excel in roles that are well-suited for their strengths

·       enable teams to work better together to achieve great results

·       strengthen business and community understanding of diversity

Who uses PDP?

Business, non-profit, and public sector organizations worldwide count on PDPs to better understand and make significant decisions about their people. PDP tools can be administered in English, Spanish, and fifteen other world languages. 

How is PDP different from other profile tools?

PDP excels at linking leadership strengths to business and organizational outcomes. Unlike most profile tools, PDP is backed by decades of research and statistical analysis with emphasis on behaviors and performance of working professionals. 

How does PDP work?

Brian will invite you to complete an online survey that will take about ten minutes. Data from this survey will be used to create a profile of your natural leadership strengths and preferred communication style. 

How accurate are PDP profiles?

More than 5 million PDPs have been administered since the 1970s. The accuracy of PDPs has been validated and continually improved through five decades of research and statistical analysis. Try it and see for yourself!

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

The search for understanding what makes people tick is as old as humanity itself.

And today - with heightened attention to diversity - it is more important than ever to know your unique strengths and appreciate the strengths of others.

Here is a story told in many ancient traditions about the origin and infinite challenge of self-discovery.

Once upon a time, all people lived as companions to the gods. They were happy and blessed with great knowledge and understanding.

But day-by-day, people began to take their gift of self-awareness for granted.

This angered the gods who were not pleased.

So, the Creator decided to revoke the gift and formed a council to recommend the best place to hide it.

The council proposed three options.

“Bury it deep in the earth,” the council said. 

“Sink it deep in the sea.”

“Or hide it on the highest, most remote mountain top!”

But the Creator knew people would climb the highest peaks, mine the darkest caverns, sail the widest oceans, and dive the deepest seas. Someday perhaps, people might even walk on Earth’s moon or rocket to a distant planet!

So, the Creator chose instead to hide people’s self-awareness in the one place they were most unlikely to look for it – at the very center of their own being.

And to this day – we continue searching to rediscover our leadership strengths and the diverse strengths of others!

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

PDP profiles outline individual and team strengths in four leadership dimensions – Dominance, Extroversion, Pace, and Conformity.

Dominance is “The Take Charge Trait”

To the point, results-driven, “big picture” oriented, direct, self-assured, forceful decision-makers

Extroversion is “The People Trait”

Outgoing, friendly, persuasive, empathetic, enthusiastic, motivating, optimistic, verbal communicators

Pace is “The Patience Trait”

Persistent, steady, cooperative, harmonious, methodical, patient, amiable, unhurried, good listeners

Conformity is “The Systems Trait”

Procedural, conscientious, precise, careful, prudent, meticulous, structured, dedicated, and at-times perfectionistic

PDP profiles describe our unique combination of these four cornerstone traits.

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things.

PDP profiles provide a quick view or road map that helps strengthen leadership and team communication and collaboration.

Here is a quick view of my PDP strengths profile.

Pace – the Patience Trait – is my most natural strength and preferred leadership approach.

When working with me, you can expect I will:

Be congenial and confident. 

Emphasize planning, preparation, and effective use of time and energy.

Seek cooperation and high levels of performance.

Communicate clearly and directly.

Tend to prefer proven methods and processes.

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

Dominance is "the Take Charge Trait."

To the point, direct, results-driven, “big picture” oriented, self-assured, forceful decision-makers

When High Dominance leaders communicate, they tend to:

·       focus on getting things done

·       make forceful and direct statements

·       say things once

·       express strong opinions

·       prefer to give orders rather than take them

·       like competition

·       believe verbal conflict is helpful

·       demand a great deal from self and others

When communicating to a High Dominance leader:

·       use direct and concise messages

·       do not repeat details

·       be willing to express disagreement

·       emphasize solving problems and getting results

·       focus on goals and “winning”

High Dominance leaders like:

·       bottom line results

·       taking risks

·       control

·       delegating responsibility, but not authority

·       competition and challenges

High Dominance leaders tend to dislike:

·       vagueness

·       indecisiveness

·       laziness

·       small talk

·       lack of confidence

·       mediocrity

Although we emphasize understanding our highest PDP traits, it is important to recognize our inverse leadership tendencies. Here are characteristics of leaders with low measures of Dominance (below the mid-line).

Low Dominance = Supportive

Supportive, collaborative, moderate, accepting, tolerant, helpful, non-controlling, deferring, agreeable, modest, contributing, accommodating, humble

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

Extroversion is "the People Trait."

Outgoing, friendly, persuasive, empathetic, enthusiastic, optimistic, team-oriented, verbal communicators

When High Extroversion leaders communicate, they tend to:

·       enjoy talking about ideas

·       be positive, optimistic, and inspiring

·       show empathy and give encouragement

·       value recognition and appreciation 

·       emphasize relationships and being a team member

·       want to be liked 

When communicating with a High Extroversion leader:

·       make friendly, positive comments

·       welcome discussion about ideas and opportunities

·       present things persuasively with emphasis on purpose and people

·       recognize and appreciate accomplishments

·       include in social and team-based activities

 High Extroversion leaders like:

·       social contact

·       an audience

·       to be liked

·       brainstorming

·       possibilities

·       fun activity

·       laughter

·       celebrations

·       delegating

High Extroversion leaders tend to dislike:

·       personal criticism

·       technical challenges

·       pessimists

 Although we emphasize understanding our highest PDP traits, it is important to recognize our inverse leadership tendencies. Here are characteristics of leaders with low measures of Extroversion (below the mid-line).

Low Extroversion = Reserved

Reserved, quiet, imaginative, observant, introspective, congenial, confidential, guarded, sincere, considerate, private, respectful, thinker

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

Pace is "the Patience Trait."

Steady, persistent, cooperative, harmonious, patient, friendly, unhurried, methodical, good listeners

When High Pace leaders communicate, they tend to:

·       be warm, friendly, easy going, and respectful

·       prefer predictable methods, routines, and schedules

·       excel in harmonious, non-chaotic situations

·       welcome time to observe and consider options before taking action

·       emphasize fairness and consistency

·       make the best of whatever happens

When communicating with a High Pace leader:

·       use a calm and cooperative approach

·       be clear and consistent when communicating direction and priorities

·       follow agreed agenda, routines, and calendars

·       allow time to assess and consider ways to address problems or opportunities

·       emphasize mission, purpose, fairness, and benefits of activities for people

High Pace leaders like:

·       cooperation

·       routines

·       thoughtful consideration/deliberation

·       practice and preparation

·       consistency

·       harmony

High Pace leaders tend to dislike:

·       pressure

·       poor planning

·       unpredictability

·       sudden or unexpected change

 Although we emphasize understanding our highest PDP traits, it is important to recognize our inverse leadership tendencies. Here are characteristics of leaders with low measures of Pace (below the mid-line).

Low Pace = Urgent

Adaptable, likes change, fast paced, restless, abrupt, impatient, sporadic, driving, hasty, versatile, active, spirited, restless, dynamic, lively, swift, driving

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

Conformity is "the Systems Trait."

Precise, conscientious, procedural, detailed, careful, prudent, system-oriented, structured, dedicated, perfectionistic

When High Conformity leaders communicate, they tend to:

·       be conscientious

·       want to do what is right

·       place importance on loyalty and sincerity

·       itemize things in detail

·       refer to proven policies and rules

·       demand accuracy from self and others

When communicating with a High Conformity leader:

·       provide clear direction with reference to agreed standards and processes

·       present ideas with attention to logic, detailed specifications, and sequence

·       anticipate, address, and mitigate potential risks

·       be direct, organized, and thorough when requesting correction or offering criticism

High Conformity leaders like:

·       rules

·       standards

·       sincerity

·       accuracy

·       manageable risk

·       security

High Conformity leaders tend to dislike:

·       criticism

·       big talk

·       flattery

·       fickleness

·       inaccurate or missing data

·       unexpectedness

·       rule changes

Although we emphasize understanding our highest PDP traits, it is important to recognize our inverse leadership tendencies. Here are characteristics of leaders with low measures of Conformity (below the mid-line).

Low Conformity = Independent

Open-minded, independent, generalist, adventurous, non-detailed, flexible, carefree, non-conforming, unconventional, creative, individualistic

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.

Hello, I am Brian Cooke.

I coach leaders who know their strengths and do amazing things!

Although we emphasize understanding our highest PDP traits, it is important to recognize our inverse leadership tendencies.

Here are characteristics of leaders with low measures of intensity for each PDP trait.

Be sure to note the word “low” does not suggest a weakness or deficiency. We all know successful leaders who have excelled with these strengths!

Low Dominance = Supportive

Supportive, collaborative, moderate, accepting, tolerant, helpful, non-controlling, deferring, agreeable, modest, contributing, accommodating, humble

Low Extroversion = Reserved

Reserved, quiet, imaginative, observant, introspective, congenial, confidential, guarded, sincere, considerate, private, respectful, thinker

Low Pace = Urgent

Adaptable, likes change, fast paced, restless, abrupt, impatient, sporadic, driving, hasty, versatile, active, spirited, restless, dynamic, lively, swift, driving

Low Conformity = Independent

Open-minded, independent, generalist, adventurous, non-detailed, flexible, carefree, non-conforming, unconventional, flexible, creative, unconventional, individualistic

Know your strengths!

Connect with me and create your PDP strengths profile at BCedX.

Read these notes on Amazon/Kindle.