At the beginning of my upper-division semester, I took a self-perception inventory test designed to explore how I prefer to work within a team and how I see myself in group dynamics. Based on my self-assessment, I identified as a Driver—someone who is assertive, goal-oriented, and focused on productivity over social interaction. I believed I thrive by taking charge, expressing my opinions clearly, and keeping my focus on the tasks rather than engaging in social exchanges.

However, later in the semester I surveyed my colleagues and coworkers to gain external feedback, and they perceived me differently. The results showed that they saw me as an Expressive—a highly assertive and responsive team member. In their eyes, I am not just focused on getting things done, but also actively engaged with others, enthusiastic, and communicative.

Even more insightful were the specific traits that came up repeatedly in my feedback. Respondents overwhelmingly described me as empathetic, outgoing, self-confident, and hard-working. These qualities highlighted a side of myself that I hadn’t fully recognized at the time, but was visible to those I work with regularly.

The red star is my self-reported perception inventory results where I viewed myself as a driver. The blue dots show how others perceive me. The green dot is the average of all respondents, indicating I have high assertiveness and high responsiveness, meaning I am actually an Expressive in group settings.