What Are Your Greatest Strengths?
Outside of the job interview, how do you answer the “What are your greatest strengths?” question? Can you put aside rehearsed answers? Do you really know where you add value?
If you’re not certain, you’re not alone. Everyone has unique abilities, but understanding and leveraging them isn’t always easy. Often, we spend so much time looking outward—dealing with day-to-day obligations and juggling responsibilities—that we forget to look inward.
Despite the effort involved, understanding your strengths is well worth the effort. If you know where you excel, you can then leverage those talents and positively transform your performance. So, how’s that done?
In the following lessons, you’ll learn about the benefits of uncovering your strengths, as well as how to arrive at that self-understanding. You’ll also learn how to leverage your strengths by reflecting upon and redesigning your habits.
Watch the video to learn about the benefits of understanding your strengths, as well as how to uncover and use those strengths to your advantage.
Benefits of Understanding Your Strengths
Let’s get started by exploring the benefits of understanding your strengths. Your strengths give insight into who you are as a person. They tell you what unique skills, knowledge, and talents you have.
By taking the time to understand those strengths, you take the time to understand yourself. And that leads to several personal and professional rewards, including:
- A fulfilling career. A fulfilling career works with your strengths, not against them. If you go down a path of weakness, your job will feel like an uphill battle—no matter how motivated you are. Understand your strengths, and you can work with those abilities. So, rather than letting talents go to waste, you’ll use those skills and, ultimately, achieve greater success.
- Increased confidence. Often, we get so caught up in trying to fix what’s broken that we forget to improve what’s great. By understanding your strengths, you can switch your thoughts from: “I can’t do X, Y, and Z” to “I’m great at A, B, and C.” So, rather than putting yourself down, you’ll come to appreciate what you offer and gain newfound confidence.
- Greater engagement. Discover your strengths, and you’ll discover what you should be doing. Then, as you play to those abilities, your time will yield greater rewards. Start from a place of excellence, and you’ll likely feel an increased sense of happiness, well-being, and engagement.
- Improved performance. High performers aren’t absent weakness. What sets these individuals apart is that they use their strengths—rather than their shortcomings—to propel their work. Recognize and use your strengths, and you’ll bring your top talents to the table. That helps you to excel as a professional.
So, how can you identify and leverage your strengths? Continue to the next lesson to learn the answer and explore some examples.