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During my doctoral program, I studied many different tests that were created to help people see their strengths. However, I quickly discovered that while most were very helpful, almost all of them were extremely complicated to take, and even the results were hard to under­stand! For example, one popular personality tool uses 364 questions to assess a person’s strengths and weaknesses —  and you have to be certified to explain what your answers to those questions mean!

So I decided to create a tool that was accurate and easy to read and that someone could take in just three to five minutes. The goal of the assess­ment was to give people a picture of their unique, God-given strengths.

If you look at the survey we’re asking you to take (at the end of this article), you’ll see it has only four boxes — an L box, an O box, a G box and a B box. And in each box, there are only 14 words or short phrases, and then below those words, there is one phrase.

For example, if you’ll look at the L box, you’ll see a list of words beginning with “Takes charge.” Underneath that list of words, you’ll see the statement in italics, “Let’s do it now!”

To complete this survey (not a test but a tool to help you see your strengths), all you need to do is think about how you naturally react when you’re at home with your fiancé or spouse. (Feel free to take this instrument later on to determine who you are when you’re at work . Many of us tend to be one personality type when we’re at home and someone very different when we’re at work.)

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A “Living” Picture of Your Strengths

While most personality tools use words to describe people, I’ve often seen people resist the labels they’re given or not understand the words that categorize them. So I decided to use a different approach to help people step toward the description of who they are. Since most people love and are very familiar with the way certain animals act, I developed this personality-assessment tool using animals. The L stands for Lion; O , for Otter; G , for Golden Retriever; and B , for Beaver). If you scored high or tied on more than one scale (for example, the Lion and the Otter tied as your highest scores), carefully read both descrip­tions that apply to you. Remember that we’re a blend of all four of these basic personality types, with a few of us being purebreds. And know, too, that while this instrument can give you a valid picture of who you are today, that picture can change over time as you grow, mature and go through different life experiences.

The Lion

Those who scored highest on the Lion scale have per­sonality strengths that motivate them to naturally take charge and be assertive. They love taking the lead and generally know which way they want to go.

That natural ability and confidence to move toward a goal or objec­tive is a great strength for Lions. They’re naturally competitive and often self-starters. They don’t mind challenges. At work, they often end up as the boss or in a position that lets them jump in and be actively involved in directing activity around them. Lions want to do things “now!” and hate to waste time when they could be getting something else done. This means they generally want to make decisions quickly , with or without all the facts. Or they want to solve a problem “now” — even if it’s 11 o’clock at night!

Lions are fast-paced, competitive and goal-driven. That often means they look at questions from others (particularly from Beavers, who love to ask clarifying questions) as slowing them down, not aiding or helping them. And in everyday conversation, they most often don’t want to hear every detail of someone’s day — just the high points.

These are all strengths, but as you’ll see with Lions, Otters, Golden Retrievers and Beavers, each person’s core personality strengths, if pushed to an extreme , can become their biggest weaknesses in relation­ships (at home or at work).

Lions, particularly under pressure, can be so decisive that they struggle with slowing down to listen to or seek input from others before making a decision. They’re often so driven to push forward and get something done, they can communicate by their actions or nonverbal communication that a task is more important than people, or others’ feelings. Again, under pressure, if they feel their time is being wasted or a decision is being blocked, they can be impatient, argumentative or even pushy.

Lions are great people and great spouses. They can accomplish much for the Lord and their families and raise great kids. So, if almighty God has given you a Lion to do life with, look forward to accomplishing great things together.

When a Lion gains the wisdom to slow down and seek to include others — proactively asking for their input and valuing their questions and insights — he or she will become a great leader as well. A wise Lion will take the time to really “see” the strengths of the people God has placed in his or her life.

The Otter

Otters are fun-loving, enthusiastic, playful and encour­aging. They love people and love to talk. That’s one reason why they know hundreds of people but don’t know anyone’s name ! Otters — purebred Otters, in particular — don’t focus on details, like names. But they’re so naturally friendly and engaging, they can form friendship bonds quickly with others and often end up being the center of attention.

They’re creative and full of energy, enthusiasm and life. For example, Otters love starting things. Sometimes that means they don’t finish everything they start, but not finishing something doesn’t bother them the way it does other personalities (like Beavers). Otters have a great time getting things launched.

Overall, Otters are optimistic and can see the potential in ideas they take to heart. But often they don’t see the risks associated with those ideas — which means they don’t always take time to read instructions (or a prospectus before investing!). Otters lead with their hearts and are excitable. They often use lots of words, energy and gestures when communicating.

Take all those great characteristics and push them to an extreme, and Otters can come across as unorganized or too fun-loving. Others may believe they’re not serious enough when it comes to important discussions or challenges, or that they’re insensitive about not meeting deadlines that affect others.

Otters love people, but again, if their strengths are pushed to an extreme, then under pressure an Otter can become a people pleaser in a way that can put a real strain on a marriage or important relationships. Otters under pressure may say yes to everyone in order to be liked but not realize the impact their people pleasing may have on their loved ones, particularly when there’s no time or energy left for their spouse or family after working so hard to please others.

All in all, Otters are great to have on a team or in a marriage or family, with all their creativity, optimism, energy and life. But wise Otters know how crucial it is to value people around them who are great at following through, being sensitive and setting a clear path (like Lions, Beavers or Golden Retrievers).

The Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are considerate, good-natured and strong team players. They’re naturally kindhearted and love helping, serving and looking for ways to come alongside others, particularly if they’re around people who are hurting. For example, at work, the Lion often organizes the Christmas party (but doesn’t actually go), while the Otter loves the idea of a party and tries to talk to everyone there. But the Golden Retriever will sit with one person at the party — either someone the Golden Retriever already knows or someone he or she wants to get to know even better or deeper. Golden Retrievers may also sit with someone who is hurting or struggling and seek to encourage and help that person.

Purebred Golden Retrievers in grade school will actually send them­selves to timeout if they do something wrong (as opposed to Lion kids who send their parents to timeout).

Retrievers, like each of the other core personalities, are tremendous people to be married to. But if their strengths are pushed to an extreme, they, too, face issues. For example, Retrievers often tend to avoid prob­lems (or downplay issues) at all costs, saying things like “Let’s talk about that tomorrow.” or “Let’s deal with that later.”

Again, circling lots of words in the G box means you have a great many positive strengths! Golden Retrievers rock! For example, they’re world-class at seeking peace and harmony with others and in wanting to see closeness and caring in a home, marriage or workplace. But there are times when problems need to be faced and dealt with today — not six months from now. This is why Golden Retrievers need others around them, like a spouse, who has the strength of a Lion or the creativity of an Otter or the detail orientation of a Beaver.

The Beaver

Guess what’s on the class ring at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)? Or at Caltech (the California Institute of Technology)? Both of these colleges are arguably two of the finest engineering schools in the world. And both of them have on their class rings … a Beaver ! That’s because Beaver personalities are God’s little architects and engineers. They’re organized, precise and detailed. They catch the spelling mistakes that everyone else misses. And if they’re purebred Beavers, they actually like to balance the checkbook! They sleep better knowing exactly, not approximately, how much money they have in the bank. In short, they’re great at follow-through and completing detailed tasks.

Remember the Christmas party from earlier? The Lions organized the party, the Otters came to the party wanting to talk to everyone there, and the sensitive Golden Retrievers sat with one person who needed encouragement. But the Beavers were the only ones who remembered to bring the food! That’s because “Bring food” was on their list. Beavers love to check things off lists!

Like every other core personality type we’ve looked at, when a Beaver’s strengths are pushed to an extreme, Beavers can take other people apart by being critical. Perhaps not verbally or in a loud way, like a Lion who “roars” at others. But if you offend a Beaver (or a Golden Retriever, for that matter), that person can hold on to a grudge for a long time, clearly remembering the offense — and what you were wearing when you offended him or her! That’s opposed to Lions and Otters who tend to get over things and move on more quickly in many cases.

One more thing. While Beavers can be critical, most often they’re really good at taking themselves apart, which means they can be extremely hard on themselves, particularly if they feel they’ve fallen short of a goal, made a mistake or done something wrong. Thoughts race through their minds, such as Why did I say that? or What did she mean by that? or If only I had …

It’s the Beavers’ attention to detail and desire to do things in a quality and correct way that makes them so incredibly beneficial in a marriage, in the workplace and in other relationships. They can spot problems early on, even when an idea is being shared initially — which is one rea­son it’s a good idea to invite a Beaver into a conversation. They can help others limit risk and identify challenges that can block or keep some­thing from being successful. Beavers are also great at wanting issues to be dealt with when they’re small, instead of waiting for small problems to turn into crises. For example, they don’t like driving for long distances with the warning light on in the car without getting the car checked or fixed! Beavers finish tasks and close loops and plan today for a positive future — strengths that Lions and Otters often lack and need so much.

For more information on LOGB (the four animals personality test), go to StrongFamilies.com . And for more tools and encouragement to build up, affirm and “bless” your future spouse, visit TheBlessing.com , a co-branded site with Dr. John Trent and Focus on the Family that’s part of the Blessing Challenge for Couples.

Dr. John Trent is the president of Strong Families, an organization committed to strengthening family relationships. He is also a conference speaker and an award-winning, best-selling author whose recent books include Breaking the Cycle of Divorce , Heartshift and Leading from Your Strengths . Dr. Trent holds a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Counseling from North Central Texas Federation of Colleges and Universities. He and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters. Learn more about Dr. Trent by visiting www.strongfamilies.com , and check out his recently revised book The Language of Love by visiting encouragingwords.com .