INTERVIEWS

The next interview on character is a bit of a departure—my subject is not someone in business, but a student. Kate Carroll is a second year student at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, studying for a BS in marine science with a minor in chemistry. While on a family vacation in St. Croix when she was 12, she was introduced to diving and never looked back, having been fascinated with the ocean for as long as she could remember. With unfailing singlemindedness, Kate is creating a life committed to the sea: she’s
a certified divemaster who makes money training others; she’s a part of the Hilo Marine Mammal
Response Network (HMMRN), which responds to
monk seal haulouts around the big island of Hawaii
when the seals beach themselves to rest, raising
awareness for their protection; she’s far exceeded
the normal amount of credits she should have under
her belt at this point, and has already been the
co-author of a scholarly, peer-reviewed paper.

Do you demonstrate them consistently?

Learn how business people just like you draw on the values and strengths that define them! Join us in discovering how character strengths guide business pursuits, decisions, and successes.

Using a powerful survey created by the VIA Institute on Character, Sue Thompson interviews men and women on the ways in which their values affect their choices and direction in business and personal undertakings.

Those interviewed have agreed to take the
VIA Survey of Character, created by Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania (often called “the father of Positive Psychology”) and Dr. Chris Peterson of the University of Michigan. The survey assesses one’s strengths within six categories:

the cognitive strengths of wisdom and knowledge—what guides our thinking processes

the emotional strengths of courage—what we use to accomplish goals

the interpersonal strengths of humanity—how we relate to others

the civic strengths of justice—our involvement in the world

the protective strengths of temperance—the preventions of excess

the “meaning” strengths of transcendence—our beliefs and connections to higher things

Looks daunting, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s a way of identifying your internal compass: what really matters to you, and why?  

Anyone may take the survey at VIA’s site for free to learn their core strengths—their top five—but interviewees are provided with the expanded “interpretative” report that ranks all of their 24 in several different ways and provides a more descriptive explanation of their top strengths. It is this report that guides questions addressed to featured guests.

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Sue Thompson is the resident expert at Exceptionality LLC. You can see more about Sue and her work here.

September 19, 2013 | 9:00 PM EDT

Linda Beverly

Dr. Kathryn Stoltzfus

Jim Dedrick

Linda Doak

Traci Lynn

Dr. Howard Giles

Pete Davisson

Carla Mathis

Stormy Friday

Do you know your character strengths?

In addition to this, she loses herself in photography, particularly macro shots under water. Here’s how she describes herself: “You could put me on a shallow reef for hours and I would still be finding new stuff and taking pictures until my memory card was full.

In the future I want to get a Master’s from Scripps Oceanographic Institute in California, and then maybe a PhD—maybe not—maybe teach at a university—maybe not. I would like to be a researcher in the field and discover something or
do something important that leaves its mark.” Her dedication to pursuing what excites her impressed me deeply, and I wanted to know what motivated her. In contrast to the images we are presented of young men and women who seem to have no other interests than fashion and celebrity, it’s a thrill to hear of such passion. I will speak with Kate about the character strengths that drive her. Let her pursuit of her purpose in life inspire and educate you!

Kate Carroll