UCD / EIA Coaching Manual
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UCD / EIA Coaching Manual
MDNA Institute – www.mdnai.org
The 7 MDNA Gifts
Before you read the 7 MDNA descriptions, please consider the following:
• Ultimately, the gifts are designed to encourage individuals to take responsibility and develop leadership.
This translates to synchronized groups and entire organizations.
• You may read these gifts and think, “This is not me,” or “I am not a leader.” You may feel this way
because you have never really entertained your purpose, passion and potential. Sometimes we do not
know who we truly are until the possibility is defined for us.
• Another important point is to avoid judging the accuracy of your MDNA based upon how successful
you are or have been.
• Remember MDNA is not just about attaining success but about finding fulfillment as well. Ask yourself: “If
I had to trade all the success in the world to be completely fulfilled, is this what I would choose?” We
can be successful by learning the traits and putting into practice the behaviors of any of the gifts. But
only one, your primary MDNA, will truly fulfill you. And this is where you will have the highest leverage
and experience exponential returns.
Nuances of the MDNA Gifts
Each MDNA gift has a promise and personality description. The primary MDNA is your “promise.” The
secondary MDNA is your “personality,” or the way you deliver that promise. If you are exploring your primary
MDNA, both the promise and personality will apply heavily to you. On the other hand, if it is your secondary
MDNA description you are exploring, you may find the personality portion applies more than the promise section
does. There is no way we can accurately describe all the wonderful nuances and shades of every combination,
so you will have to be brave and explore them on your own.
Each MDNA Features an Organization’s Core Competency
It has been proven that a leader’s unique social DNA is imprinted on the organization they lead. Social DNA is
the unique fingerprint of a leader’s promise and personality that shapes the entire organization. Because of this,
two organizations from the same industry could feature an identical business model, but be vastly different
because of who leads them. Over the years, we have observed patterns in how different MDNA leads to
common core competencies within a particular organization. This has vast implications, from business model
innovation and corporate branding, to mergers and acquisitions and succession planning. Although this manual
was intended for individuals, a paragraph has been included in each MDNA on the core competency for a
company or group that fits that MDNA.
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© Ed Kang 2014MDNA Institute – www.mdnai.org
Each Paragraph Starts with a Sentence in Bold
This is the sentence that you can use to describe yourself in interviews, reviews and even conversations with co-
workers. Of course, the statement may need to be adjusted according to the context of the conversation. For
example, it may say:
“You enjoy new initiatives.”
In an interview, you could adapt the statement to:
“I enjoy taking initiative especially with new projects or challenges. But I also know the value of being part of a
team with great leadership.”
In a review:
“I believe I have demonstrated that I enjoy taking on new initiatives and hope to be included more in the
planning stages of projects.”
In a co-worker conversation:
“I love starting new things and will probably jump at the chance to take the initiative. But if you want me to take
a back seat, just let me know.”
Finally, if you are a keener who skipped all the introductory material and flipped to this section first, please take
time to read it after your curiosity has been satiated. It will help fill in the missing pieces and provide a complete
framework of how to apply your MDNA to your personal and professional journey.
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© Ed Kang 2014UCD
Unyielding Conviction & Design
UCD: Unyielding Conviction & Design
The easiest way to recognize a true UCD is by how ideologically driven they are. The UCD desires to
understand the principles in how the world is designed. UCDs are problem solvers and work extremely hard to
find strategies and create solutions.
Those who fit this MDNA are opinionated, blunt, and emotionally intense. The UCD has a habit of choosing
ideologies over relationships because everything is seen as black or white, in or out, wrong or right. This leads to
unyielding convictions that the UCD is willing to stand on regardless of popular opinion.
Some examples of popular UCDs, today and throughout history, are three-time heavyweight boxing champion
and activist Muhammad Ali; scientist George Washington Carver that transformed an industry by developing
approximately 100 products made from peanuts; Stephen R Covey, best-selling author of The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People; and Timothy Ferriss, best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek. Famous fictional UCDs
would be Sherlock Holmes and the Marvel comic book character Tony Stark also known as Iron Man.
(Celebrity profiles are unofficial, unverified and for educational purposes only.)
The organization or group that fits the UCD MDNA is imprinted with the core competency, “Innovative
Paradigms.” This organization is all about introducing new products, ideas and approaches to the market,
operating out of insights and principles, which differentiate them from other organizations. Nike, for example, not
only was innovative in the athletic footwear industry, but also introduced new ideologies to sports such as
running and personal fitness. Another example is Pixar. Many see Pixar as just an animation company. The
reality is Pixar started as a software company and used its technical innovations to pioneer a new breed of 3D
animated entertainment.
Promise of the UCD
You are ideologically driven, seeing the world as black and white. There is nothing really in between. This
perspective applies to professional situations and people. As a UCD you have no problems clearly using words
or labels to define these black and white ideologies either, during meetings or conversations at the water cooler.
You have the ability to strategically assess situations in very short periods of time. If there is a problem, you not
only have a strong opinion about it, but you have an immediate and fearless plan to fix it. In fact, sometimes you
take on challenges without really considering the risk of underperformance. But it is the challenge that draws you
towards chaos or a void that needs to be filled. UCDs can see strategic solutions where others can’t.
You enjoy new initiatives. You love start-up situations or being asked to rescue a broken deal. Therefore you are
not really designed to maintain the status quo. You need to know where your team or entire organization is
going. Just being comfortable—or even worse, stuck in mediocrity—is extremely de-motivating.
You are a visionary with a passion for initiative. This extends to the organization you work for and the people
you work with. Of the all the gifts, a UCD’s vision extends the furthest. You can instantly embrace a vision that
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© Ed Kang 2014UCD
Unyielding Conviction & Design
spans your entire career and even beyond. And once you have a conviction about your vision and the initiative
required for attaining it, nothing—especially the opinions of people—can stop you from driving towards it.
You judge and always account for liabilities. This applies when working with people, especially leadership.
Although you believe everybody deserves a chance, including leaders, your ability to assess character
inconsistencies and potential liabilities cannot be ignored. You possess a particular intolerance for perceived
hypocrisy and lack of integrity because of your principles. Even when you are communicating with others (for
example, prospects or clients), you find yourself upfront with the potential liabilities around the product or deal.
You are an innovator. Out of all the gifts, you are a one-person R&D department. This does not necessarily mean
you are inventing new products. Innovation can apply to service, process and leadership. This is based upon an
intense desire to understand how things work on principle and strategic levels. Therefore you can birth new ideas
quickly. However you can also abort these ideas just as rapidly for newer ones.
Personality of the UCD
You are opinionated and verbally expressive. On the spectrum of gifts you are the first. Therefore you have no
problem being the first to speak with passion and intention. Some people will enjoy the way you can clearly
articulate opinions, principles and strategies. Others will receive your style of communication as overtly blunt and
cranky.
You are passionate with widest spectrum of emotions. Of all the gifts, your emotional range is the widest but not
the deepest. One moment you may be excited, only to be angry or filled with grief the next. Your emotional
gears shift faster than anybody else but don’t necessarily stay in one gear for very long.
You require virtually no social connection to be competent and productive. Again, because you are first in the
MDNA spectrum, you do not need relational engagement from any of the other gifts to draw from the principles
within and make things happen from nothing. This can be mistaken for being anti-social. But in reality it is one of
your strengths.
You are fiercely competitive. There is nothing casual when it comes to your commitments. To you, nobody is ever
an underdog. Nothing is impossible. Yielding is not an option. UCDs are very well known for “front-loading” an
investment into a challenge or initiative without the assurance of victory. And do not talk to a UCD about
traditional policies and procedures. Feeling stuck or stagnant is just as bad as defeat.
You can be impulsive and emotionally intense. You are generous with your resources and quick to make
decisions, but you do not always think everything through. “Intense” is a common word to describe you. For you,
this is normal. Yet you may not even realize how intense you actually come across at times. While you can’t
change who you are, for professionalism’s sake, it is important to be aware of this.
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
When You Are Synchronized (Purpose, Passions & Potential)
You possess the ability to see hidden strategies and patterns to implement solutions. You are not afraid of the
chaotic or the unknown when it comes to professional and personal challenges. You have no problem initiating
new strategies and creating solutions for complex problems. When properly developed, you can see the world
in cause-and-effect patterns. Where there is a pattern of effects, you seek the cause. And with this, you are able
to trigger the necessary causes to accomplish the desired effects.
In other words, you are a problem fixer. Managers and co-workers will or already have come to know you and
rely on you for this. The bigger the problem, the more motivated you are. That is, of course, if everybody is
willing to buy into your ideological approach to the problem.
Therefore, you are typically the advisor to leaders, if not the leader. Those in positions above you (if they are
personally secure people) come to you for advice. They appreciate the way you are able to articulate solutions,
strategies and principles regarding their issues, especially when they are not sure how to define the issue in the
first place. When working with these leaders, you know when to be bold with your insights, but also when to
take a backseat and let those in positional authority do their thing.
You see and desire to unlock potential in everybody. Just because you see the weaknesses and potential
liabilities of others, does not mean you write them off—especially if they are earnestly trying to grow and
change. Yes, you gravitate towards leaders with integrity, but you also have the gift to work with “broken”
people and see them achieve personal and professional redemption.
You are very generous—sometimes to a fault as you can be impulsive with your resources. For you, generosity
is a principle you have a conviction of. Whether it be donating to a cause or simply leaving a good restaurant
server a nice tip, you enjoy giving above and beyond—especially when others are not. To avoid being overly
impulsive, use wisdom to temper your generosity and avoid being taken advantage of.
You are an idea generator. Nobody comes up with ideas—often abandoning them just as fast—like you. The
practice of ideation is second nature. And ideas that are based on universal principles, or solutions to patterns of
issues, are what you generate best. This does not necessarily mean you need to brainstorm in a group either.
Co-creation is not necessary. You are just as comfortable in stepping away and generating those ideas in
isolation: in the shower, during a long drive, playing golf, it does not really matter.
When You Are De-Synchronized
Because you have no problem standing alone, others may hold independence against you. It is easy for the
UCD to fracture relationships by choosing to act on principle or ideology first. Choosing ideologies over
relationships can lead to being critical and unforgiving—especially of oneself. Therefore it is easy to fracture a
relationship over principle. What very few (other than fellow UCD’s) will understand is that no matter how critical
you seem of others, there is absolutely no comparison to how harsh you are on yourself. But you must be careful
not to project your criticisms onto others who do not share the same personal conviction.
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
You are intolerant of perceived rebellion, hypocrisy and denial, especially in leadership. And this is not
necessarily a bad thing, depending on how you react to it. Once again, your tendency will be to fracture the
relationship and disregard the opportunity to take the higher road. It then becomes easy to persecute those on
this path. But the danger is others may brand you as a hypocrite for perpetuating the very same issues that you
are in judgment of.
Of all the gifts, you need the most alone time to recharge. Again, this is neither a positive nor negative trait.
Without the opportunity to recharge, de-synchronization becomes a greater possibility. The UCD prefers
recreational time or vacations that do not necessarily involve people or social activities, which other gifts may not
understand, Reading, traveling, puttering around the house, watching a movie, or just enjoying nature are some
of the typical activities the UCD utilizes to recharge. Make space and time for it, and help others close to you
understand what value it provides for you and, ultimately, for them.
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
Synchronization Scale
This scale was created to rapidly and clearly illustrate the spectrum of extremes between a synchronized and de-
synchronized UCD. The synchronization scale can then be used for coaching.
UCD UNYIELDING CONVICTION & DESIGN
First-Class Synchronization: Understanding the culture
+5 and structure of an organization or group, demonstrating
the leadership capacity to design and innovate.
Organizational Transformation: The ability to manage
+4 transformation and increase social capital across entire
organizations.
Acting as Change Agent: Winning over those resistant to
+3 organizational change and improvement instead of
rejecting.
Acting as Culture Champion: Helping those that seek
+2 help experience empowerment and resolve conflict.
Being Harmless but Not Helpful: Understanding when
+1 you need to work on yourself before trying to “fix”
everybody else.
Having Professional Commitment: Accepting challenge
0 and investing into organizational culture using principles.
Acting with Selective Professionalism: Taking on
-1 challenges or work teams if convenient and when success
is imminent and assured.
Biting the Tongue: Seeing and experiencing work
-2 problems, but being unwilling to participate in the
solution.
Taking the Backdoor: Withdrawing from a team or
-3 organization without making an attempt at improvement.
Fragmenting organizational social capital.
Governed by Anger: Allowing personal offense to impact
professional performance, not just by being resistant but
-4 by actually being counterproductive to positive
organizational change.
Justifying Negative Culture: Creating a framework of
-5 convictions that destroys social capital in both personal
and professional circles.
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
Synergy and the UCD
There are social dynamics and the potential for synergistic relationships between the UCD and the other gifts:
They are as follows:
UCD + UCD: Two UCDs together can be a solid team and require very little social engagement to be effective.
However, the combination can be prone to using shortcuts and ignoring the benefits of others in a team,
especially those with other gifts.
UCD + SSA: Can be a difficult combination to synchronize. The UCD can shift gears rapidly while the SSA may
not so easily anticipate change. The UCD sees far in advance in terms of vision where the SSA focuses on
current and immediate objectives.
UCD + KWR: Possibility of a strong symbiotic partnership. While the UCD presses into new paradigms and is
willing to risk based upon theories, the KWR focuses on the past and empirical validation before taking action.
Both gifts move at completely different speeds, however, which can have a synergistic effect covering all facets
of an objective or strategy.
UCD + EIA: Strong possibility of professional tension especially concerning the approach and management of
people. The need for social connection and validation for each is on opposite ends of the spectrum. If both are
able to bridge this difference, synergy can occur. Or typically there is a parting of ways.
UCD + CVS: This combination has the greatest potential for successfully working together, especially in business.
The UCD provides the principles, and the CVS provides the diversity and flexibility for execution. This
combination has been compared to a growing plant where the UCD is sunlight and the CVS is photosynthesis.
However, if the two clash, the conflict and collateral social damage can be devastating.
UCD + DLF: Extremely potent combination that is only possible if both parties are competent and mature. UCD
provides strategic insights while the DLF executes and ensures action and accountability. Typically one of the two
must agree to take a background role, which can be interchangeable depending upon the project or
organizational culture.
UCD + IAF: Another combination that requires maturity. The IAF is naturally drawn to the UCD’s ability to
articulate. However, professionally the UCD can dominate the IAF and create suboptimal conditions stunting the
potential for both parties.
IMPORTANT: If you are working with a UCD, the way to synergize is to build common ground through the
practice of principles. Remember, to a UCD, ideology is more important than social engagement. The UCD may
cut off communication with individuals that advocate for their rights before being accountable for their
responsibilities, so it is important to ensure you have covered your responsibilities and maintained accountability
when working with UCDs. Also, even if you are a supervisor or manager of the UCD, do not think for a moment
you are exempt. The UCD has no problems calling out leadership and telling it like it is.
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
Legitimacy Gap
The following statement represents the common thought pattern that triggers the Legitimacy Gap in a UCD.
Believing this thought and acting on it leads to de-synchronization.
“I am only legitimate when fixing problems for others or myself. I can do this better than anybody.”
Not everything (or everybody) is a problem to be fixed. No matter how quickly you recognize the issue, and
know exactly how to solve it, sometimes it is just not your problem to fix. Yes, you are hard-wired to see liabilities
in situations or people, but they may not be ready to hear the truth—ever.
Nobody can cut as deep and precise with words as a UCD, which often leads to a devastating pattern of
fractured relationships. Use restraint. Be humble. Learn the principles of relationships as much as you master the
principles of your ideology that make the world work.
The key to avoiding a Legitimacy Gap is learning to celebrate progress—any progress. It does not matter if you
advance an inch or take a big leap down the field, celebrate. Celebrate where you are going and where you
have been. Celebrate despite your feelings of incompetence and inadequacies. Celebrate when you see the
same in others. Allow others to celebrate you the same way. This will counteract the desire to see everything,
and everybody, as a problem to be fixed—including yourself!
While you are celebrating, learn to extend favor to individuals who might not even deserve it. Step up and have
a co-worker’s back despite their deficiencies. Be generous with your time and other resources. Make this a habit
at the office and really wherever you go. Remember natural tendency for a person with the UCD gift is to focus
on what is negative or inadequate. Do the opposite and show some favor where people are expecting judgment
and criticism.
Recommended Action Plan (For Re-Synchronization)
The simplest (not to mention the most highly recommended) method for re-synchronization is to find legitimacy,
your personal sense of self-worth, outside of your professional status and performance. Remember, you are a
human being and not a human doing.
Ask yourself this question: “If my professional status and ability to perform were abruptly stripped from me, how
would I account for my self-worth?”
If you do not have a solid answer to this question, you may need to make a serious investment of time to figure it
out. However, most will be able to at least reference family or personal endeavors to account for their sense of
self-worth. If that is true for you, the question to ask yourself then becomes one of priorities. Do you have your
priorities in order?
Ask yourself this: “Outside of my professional status and performance, is my personal character truly reflective of
where I know it should be?”
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
And this is where we must ultimately arrive before re-synchronization can begin. We must become honest about
our true character outside of work. Are you the same person with every social circle? If your professional
accolades did not count, would the people around you still celebrate your character?
It may sound counter-intuitive to approach re-synchronization as a professional by starting with Life outside of
work, but again, this is the launch point to get where we all desire to be. If you are a UCD and base your self-
worth on your performance at work, here is a very simple four-step process for re-synchronization.
1. Recognize:
Become aware of the areas in which you are feeling insecure professionally. What are your fears? Where is the
anxiety? Write down whatever comes to mind. Do not judge what you write. Simply explore what may be there.
How busy are you fixing problems at work? Sure, you may be known for this, and even great at this, but have
you become so busy, it is all you do?
Do you find yourself constantly being critical of people—especially leadership? Are you completely intolerant of
colleagues that are in denial or refuse to take responsibility? Has this resulted in broken relationships at work? Or
have you already disassociated yourself completely from any sort of social engagement?
Do you find yourself “burning bridges” over ideologies? Are you spending the majority of your time trying to have
your opinions heard out of constant frustration?
More than anything else, are you the most critical of yourself? Are you constantly trying to fix yourself and your
personal problems? Do you have a hard time forgiving yourself for the professional mistakes you have made?
Are co-workers (even family and friends) coming to know you as a bitter person? Are you losing relationships
because of your emotional intensity? This may require someone brave enough to be completely honest with you.
2. Reframe:
Start being mindful of whether you are speaking negatively and critically about your current professional status
and path. In other words, stop taking yourself so seriously.
Celebrate the positive in the areas of your incompetence. This may sound strange but most people focus on their
inadequacies and weaknesses within an organization. Choose to focus on the opposite. Wherever you feel like
a failure, step back, take inventory and celebrate the positive. Wherever you feel you have let people down,
consider the people who accept you as part of the team regardless. Do this in every area.
3. Respond:
Receive acknowledgment where people want to give it to you. Your first reaction may be that you do not deserve
it. Avoid the temptation of dismissing or discrediting yourself.
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Unyielding Conviction & Design
Every day, extend favor to a co-worker or associate who may not be expecting it—especially to those who have
not necessarily earned it or can repay it. Make this a professional habit.
Choose to foster social engagement in your professional relationships instead of focusing on your performance.
Accept yourself as a professional work-in-progress. Do the same for others.
Learn when to say, “Not my problem.” Not every problem needs to be fixed—especially by you. Acceptance
should never be mistaken for agreement. So learn to accept people and their problems, whether you agree with
them or not.
Find an individual, preferably a mentor, or a group, to stay accountable to during the process of re-
synchronization. Ask yourself three questions and share your plans:
• What should I START doing?
• What should I STOP doing?
• What should I CONTINUE doing?
4. Reflect:
Spend some regular time every week considering the following about being a UCD.
Imagine you are standing in a pitch-black room that is to be exquisitely furnished by a world-renowned interior
designer. But in the complete darkness, nobody can be sure exactly which room they are in or where to start
figuring things out. What's the first thing you should do?
Turn on the lights, of course!
This is precisely how you are uniquely gifted for synchronization. The gift of design—the way you are wired—
leads to the ability to turn on the lights and reveal purpose, truth and Life! As you walk this path, your light will
shine and illuminate a path for others. They too, will recognize and embrace their callings and designs.
Your gift provides vision and inspires others. But remember, the path of Life can be filled with challenges and
pain associated with taking absolute responsibility. Not everybody, from family to co-workers, is as prepared as
you to embark on such a journey. You must learn to embrace all colleagues regardless of any ideological
differences or convictions. This may not be easy, but relational principles are just as true as all other universal
principles that govern both the visible and invisible world we live in. Master these insights and all principles will
come together for you to walk in the authority and abundance of Life.
A note of caution: This gift can be much costlier in the arena of emotional, physical and even spiritual hardships.
Do not be surprised if your convictions are constantly challenged to further refine your character for the sake of
becoming a greater influence in the world around you. You won’t always be popular—especially when
convicted to take a stand. That is OK. If you are called to follow a conviction, just accept that although it may be
costly, in the end, it is always worth it.
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Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
EIA: Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
The EIA is best described as the “connector.” They have an uncanny ability to connect with people, and then
connect those people to an objective or cause on a mass scale if needed. Those who inspire us or shape
popular culture, even change history are EIAs. Often described as “a party waiting to happen,” these incredibly
influential communicators are designed for the social spotlight. Although typically excelling in sales, public
relations, or any professional arena where networking is a strategic advantage, the EIA is designed for much
more than center stage. Their true calling is to connect and unite various organizational communities for the
benefit of business and society as a whole.
Some examples of popular EIAs, today and throughout history, are celebrities like Oprah; Lady Gaga; lead
singer of U2 Bono; and co-founder of Facebook and one of the youngest billionaires in the world Mark
Zuckerberg. And to reference one of our favorite television series again, Saul Goodman in the show Breaking
Bad was a hysterical yet very accurate representation of what an EIA can be like.
(Celebrity profiles are unofficial, unverified and for educational purposes only.)
Organizations and groups with this MDNA are imprinted with the core competency, “Social Experience.” The
Social Experience organization is differentiated by its ability to connect individuals and groups and by engaging
and monetizing those connections. These companies often have the largest market footprint and harness mass
media while staying connected to their consumer base. Facebook is the ultimate online version of allowing
people to stay connected and engage on a mass scale. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has made mixed
martial arts the fastest growing sport by creating a fan experience like no other live sporting event does. And of
course Coca-Cola, at one time one of the most valuable global brands, manages to make beverages a social
experience.
Promise of the EIA
You have the highest level of influence and persuasion across networks. You thrive on relational connections.
You are designed to be a leader. The EIA has the spark to start movements and motivate large groups to do
what they may not necessarily want to do.
You are designed for social spotlight across emotional, economic and psychographic barriers. This is because
you are charismatic with the capacity to form professional connections quickly. You embrace openness and
variety within an organizational structure of co-workers.
You are a broad visionary seeing opportunities across connections. Your digital rolodex is your primary asset.
You always know somebody that knows somebody that could be connected for value. You are then able to pull
everything together to connect the big idea.
You are typically fearless and flexible. You are driven by vision and love being in constant movement—even if it
means dropping the current project or process to embrace a new direction. This makes you an asset during
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Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
periods of change. And if your leadership skills are sharp, you can help others transition into positive change as
well.
As a connector, you can read people and form the right professional and personal assessment. You are a living
and breathing social network.
Personality of the EIA
You have the ability to maintain social connections regardless of cost and diversity. This means you have never
met a stranger that you couldn’t embrace and woo into your network despite any differences. You also have an
uncanny sense of when to re-connect and how to make up for lost time to rekindle any opportunities.
You are an expert communicator. You use inspirational terms and inclusive language. This communication style
also translates to appearance, presentation, branding and aligning anything else designed to make the right
impression. Even your choice of clothing is intentionally designed to make a specific social connection.
You are highly attuned to opinions and positions of others. You know when to push, back down or improvise
when influencing others. People consider you a social chameleon, which is highly advantageous in personal and
professional arenas.
You can be engaging and entertaining. Some may consider you a, “party waiting to happen.” If you were
standing at a social function and the group interaction suddenly died, you would have no problem picking up
the conversation. You were probably pretty chatty as a child.
You typically have the ability to disagree without being alienated. Whether it is with a project team,
management, customers, or even what to do on a family vacation, disagreements are just part of the package
for you. You are able to maintain social engagement despite any differences.
When You Are Synchronized (Purpose, Passions & Potential)
You are great at passionately encouraging groups towards a vision and achievement. Big vision and big ideas
often require intense passion to get the entire organization moving towards achievement. Individually, people
may not be willing to take the risk. But you have the ability to engage the entire group and encourage the
necessary momentum.
You therefore require real-time social feedback. In fact, you thrive on it. When synchronized, you pick up the
nuances in group reactions to your delivery methods and message. This gives you a subtle advantage to assess
and adjust as needed for maximum influence. This means that teleconferencing is typically not the preferred
method of delivery. You are at your best when live and in front of the crowd.
You have a consistently positive attitude. Colleagues often see you as the “perpetual optimist.” (A world-class EIA
we know even considers himself to be a pathological optimist!) This attitude is infectious and brings the
community together quickly.
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Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
You are easy to communicate and connect with. You are a professional and personable connector. You do it
easily. You do it well.
You have the ability to use your social graph as a sounding board and for collaboration. You love the concept
of ideation—the more diverse the group, the more powerful the process. Facilitating collaboration and getting the
entire team engaged as a sounding board creates exponential value.
You woo. To woo is to seek to persuade, win and gain favor. The EIA does this better than any other gift on
both an individual and mass scale. But left to your own devices, you always prefer to influence as many people
as possible.
When You Are De-Synchronized
You can be tempted to lead superficially, based upon social connections and popular opinion rather than on
principles. This weakness can result in the inability to confront others. As a leader, you must learn to challenge
relationships in order to accomplish what is necessary. Principles are universal truths that apply no matter how
people feel. The EIA needs to know when to take the risk and follow the principle over the popular opinions of
people.
The EIA can suffer from the “Tyranny of the Urgent.” Because the EIA is so connected within their social
networks, juggling relationships and opportunities can cause follow-through and quality to suffer. The urgent
becomes the imposing tyrant, preventing effectiveness and due process. Timing and time management are
always a major issue.
The EIA, therefore, can become a constant crisis manager and exhibit a tendency to burn social circles. There is
a difference between working on your business and working in your business. The EIA can get caught up in
business far too often. So when the tyranny of the urgent is present, a perpetual state of crisis ensues. And while
the EIA may be able to handle the urgencies—at least in the short-term—others are not built the same way. As a
result, colleagues, project teams and managers burn out. For example, the EIA can make enthusiastic promises
that are unsubstantiated and cannot be fulfilled. When the reality that those promises cannot be delivered hits
home, relationships are affected and a cycle of denial can occur.
There is a strong temptation for a desynchronized EIA to “spin” or finesse relationships. The EIA has been
known to use their professional influence to induce a compromise of ethics and integrity, attempting to convince
others to lower their standards of behavior and to cross boundaries. . Often expressed by spinning the truth or
using manipulation to finesses situations, the EIA may attempt to convince others to normalize the practice of
breaking boundaries.
The de-synchronized EIA typically avoids being alone. This does not just apply to a social context. EIA
managers are often found holding onto members of their team versus releasing them into their potential.
Sometimes the EIA is unwilling to equip people for growth and development. At other times the EIA may flat out
create blocks preventing people from moving on. Should someone actually break free, he or she and everybody
else, will hear about the EIA feels about it.
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© Ed Kang 2014EIA
Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
Denial of reality can be a trap for you. The de-synchronized EIA can be in denial when vision and reality do not
align. Sometimes the EIA expects to reap much more than what is actually sown. This can lead to a sense of
entitlement.
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© Ed Kang 2014EIA
Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
Synchronization Scale
This scale was created to rapidly and clearly illustrate the spectrum of extremes between a synchronized and de-
synchronized EIA. The synchronization scale can then be used for coaching.
EIA EMPOWERING INSPIRATION & ATTRACTION
First-Class Synchronization: Integrating all business,
+5 political, legal and social structures for a transformational
and sustainable legacy.
Organizational Transformation: Empowering and
+4 reforming communities through principles and values.
Practicing Principles Over Personality: Influencing
+3 change at the organization level by the practice of
principles rather than relying on individual personality.
Acting as Culture Coach: Willing to invest personal time
+2 in helping others achieve versus the monopolizing the
social spotlight.
Developing Character Over Comfort: Taking time to
+1 invest in personal growth and character development
versus relying on raw talent.
Being Grounded in Reality: Recognizing that “You reap
0 what you sow” and willingly take action, or sow, and be
accountable accordingly.
Being in Denial: Ignoring the consequences of a lack of
-1 performance, resorting to blame or “spinning” the story.
Having a Sense of Entitlement: Focusing more on
personal rights than on responsibilities—especially in
-2 areas where there has been no investment of time and
effort. Expectations become demanding.
Using Manipulation: Using unethical practices for
-3 personal gain. Includes tactics such as fear, seduction,
false flattery and taking credit where it is not due.
Normalizing Deception: Spreading an ideology that
there are no consequences for underperformance or for
-4 destroying social capital. Believing that good intentions
justify false realities.
Jockeying for Control: using a skillful combination of
-5 manipulation, exploitation, hidden agendas and secret
alliances. Can lead to organizational coups.
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© Ed Kang 2014EIA
Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
Synergy and the EIA
Initially, it is easy to synergize with the EIA. The EIA will always adapt, up to a certain point. However going
deeper and optimizing personal and professional output is more difficult for some MDNA gifts than others.
Certain gifts will delight in the EIA’s ability to communicate and entertain, while others will accuse the EIA of
being shallow and full of hot air. Understand that the EIA exists for social engagement on a mass scale.
Respecting this gift’s ability to enter—even create—the spotlight is a critical component to synergizing with this
free-spirited, visionary gift.
It is beneficial to understand the social dynamics and potential synergies between the EIA and the other gifts as
follows:
EIA + UCD: A powerful combination because both are visionary. Where the UCD sees far and narrow, the EIA
sees short-term and wide. The UCD provides the principles and confrontation skills to balance the EIA’s desire for
social engagement. Both must be careful to stay grounded in reality when working towards a vision.
EIA + SSA: Another potentially effective combination because the SSA is willing to execute the visionary plans of
the EIA. The EIA must be careful to respect the SSA’s boundaries and not exploit a willingness to respond.
EIA + KWR: The KWR provides an internal technical foundation, whereas the EIA moves towards external
interface development. Together, the potential is a balanced culture that connects internal and external viability.
The KWR also provides a sense of proper timing to the EIA through precision and validation of information.
EIA + EIA: Two EIA’s can be compared to dueling pianos—highly entertaining but lacking depth.
EIA + CVS: The CVS appreciates the visionary and relational side of the EIA. When the EIA has a big idea, the
CVS will naturally attempt to help realize it. However the EIA must be careful to maintain credibility or the CVS
will disengage.
EIA + DLF: This combination is rarely effective unless both parties agree upon a mutual understanding of
leadership order. The EIA is driven to expansion through social engagement. The DLF is driven to expansion
through scalable systems. Both agree that expansion is important; however one must submit to the other for there
to be cohesive results.
EIA + IAF: Together, the EIA and IAF can produce something of sheer beauty. Both are highly visionary, but in
different ways. As the EIA cares about presentation, the IAF possesses the ability to deliver the intentional design
excellence to fulfill the vision. And where the EIA desires social engagement on a macro level, the IAF provides
the balance of socially engaging on a micro level. Together, organizational culture and community benefit the
most.
Legitimacy Gap
The following statement represents the thought pattern that forms the Legitimacy Gap for an EIA. When a person
with this MDNA is motivated by this pattern of thought, the result is de-synchronization:
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© Ed Kang 2014EIA
Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
“I only have value and worth when people want and need to be connected with me.”
When motivated by or operating from this thought pattern, the EIA is prone to see his or her connection to others
as the EIA would like it to be. The EIA can then avoid confrontation and the risk of alienating others in that
connection. But sometimes, as we all know, confrontation and risking rejection is necessary, especially when
working together to deliver results.
Social networks are not always meant for comfort. Feeling connected may be comforting, it may even provide a
buzz, but what happens when the connections are no longer equal? Sometimes you may have to pull rank; at
other times, be willing to back down. At the same time, others will outgrow your network, which can feel
threatening, even violating. But you should not allow your lack of comfort in this area to determine your self-
worth.
Time to be on your own is needed to overcome the Legitimacy Gap. Constantly being connected to social
networks can cause a valuable loss of time for personal development. Living out of the thought pattern that forms
the Legitimacy Gap can make you vulnerable to being defined by others. Exploitation of your talents can even
occur. Taking regular time to be alone allows you to explore whom you really are.
Recommended Action Plan (For Re-Synchronization)
The simplest method for re-synchronization is to find legitimacy—your personal sense of self-worth—outside of
your professional status and performance. Remember, you are a human being and not a human doing.
Ask yourself this question: “If my professional status and ability to perform were abruptly stripped from me, how
would I account for my self-worth?”
Most people reference family or personal endeavors as the reason for their feelings of self-worth. If you did not
have a solid answer to the question, you may need to make a serious investment of time to figure it out.
Next, you need to evaluate your priorities.
Ask yourself this: “Outside of my professional status and performance is my personal character truly reflective of
where I know it should be?”
This is where we must ultimately arrive before re-synchronization can begin. We must be honest with ourselves
about our true character outside of work. Are you the same person within every social circle, or does your
character change, depending upon the people you hang with? If your professional accolades did not count,
would the people around you still celebrate your character?
It may sound counterintuitive to approach re-synchronization as a professional by starting with Life outside of
work, but this is the launch point to get where we all desire to be. So with a mindset of personal character
development, here is a simple four-step process to re-synchronize. Taking these steps will help you avoid the
Legitimacy Gap and keep you on the path of success and fulfillment.
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© Ed Kang 2014EIA
Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
1. Recognize:
Become aware of where you are feeling insecure professionally. What are your fears? Where is the anxiety?
Write down whatever comes to mind. Do not judge what you write. Simply explore what may be there.
Recognize your own convictions and moral standards. What are they based upon? Do you feel you have
compromised? Have you attempted to normalize compromise for others?
Are you afraid of confrontation and of losing your following? Ask yourself why.
Are people under you and around you constantly picking up the slack when you are unable to deliver on your
responsibilities? Do these people feel they exist only to do your bidding versus mutually benefiting from the
relationship?
Do you have unrealistic goals? Do you always seem to underestimate the time, people and effort that it takes to
get the job done?
Are you lacking long-term planning both professionally and personally? Can you realistically say you have
amassed the resources and achieved what you set out to do by this point in your career?
Do you have a difficult time accepting discipline from leadership as a statement of your character? Do you find
yourself denying their claims or spinning a story to cover things up?
Do people feel you can become complacent, self-absorbed and stubbornly rooted in pride?
2. Reframe:
Challenge your own convictions and moral standards. As you do this, you will give others permission to have a
voice and they will be drawn to you.
Really ask yourself: “Do I believe this is right, or am I settling for what feels good and is easy?”
Challenge those who are offended or wallowing in a victim mentality to embrace pain and take responsibility for
moving forward. Be sure to do it with the right motives and compassion. Make a conscious lifestyle choice to risk
relationships so that the universal principles of Life can be proven true.
3. Respond:
Stop being afraid of people’s opinions. Be honest about your fears. Then go on a personal detox by celebrating
the times when you risked alienating a relationship and found success. Do this daily.
Study the biography of one influential leader a month. As an example, focus on true leaders who made a
greater impact on society versus just successful individuals. Specifically examine how they dealt with negative
people around them and how they synchronized for win-win experiences despite challenges.
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© Ed Kang 2014EIA
Empowering Inspiration & Attraction
Find an individual, preferably a mentor, or a group, to stay accountable to during the process of re-
synchronization. Ask yourself three questions and share your plans:
• What should I START doing?
• What should I STOP doing?
• What should I CONTINUE doing?
4. Reflect:
Spend regular time every week considering the following about being an EIA.
Your MDNA can be summarized with the phrase, “You reap what you have sown.” This needs to be your
mantra because you must learn to sow in Life before reaping the benefits of being an EIA. It is like the difference
between using a microwave for an instant meal and a slow roaster for an exquisite delicacy. Like a farmer who
sows seed, you must be patient. A bountiful harvest only comes when you have allowed the seeds of integrity
and character to grow, producing a quality of fruit that attracts greater relationships and more opportunities.
A mindset of patience must be for the long term. The more you abide by Life-based principles, such as integrity,
transparency, honesty, service and discipline, the more you will naturally attract people, win trust, and connect
the dots so that all reap benefits.
The greatest trap to avoid for those that operate in this MDNA is a “cult of comfort.” The cult of comfort seeks to
reap where it has not sown, putting pleasure ahead of long-term positive sustainability. Seeking comfort first
feeds a root of denial that settles for temporal change or, worse, an illusion rather than sincere continual
transformation.
Your temptation can also be to manipulate people and circumstances for instant gratification or to avoid the
consequences of your actions. Again, denial can prevent you from taking responsibility and experiencing the
fullness this MDNA gift has to offer in the realm of both natural and meta-physical law.
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