How to Identify and Leverage Your Strengths

Assessing Your Strengths, Interests, and Values

Discovering Your Strengths

To make the most of your strengths, you must first identify them. So, how is that done? It starts with some self-reflection. Expand the rows below and—being as honest as possible—answer the following five questions: What Do You Know?

First, reflect on what you’ve learned thus far in your career. Focusing on where you feel the most confident, what are your hard skills? Consider three areas:

Education
Training
Work experience

If you spent years learning, training, and perfecting a skill, that capability is unique to you—and it speaks to the value you offer. For example, a lawyer has advanced legal knowledge, a construction worker has expert mechanical skills, and a writer understands grammar’s nuances. Where Have You Excelled?

Next, list your biggest wins. Where have you excelled in the past? What achievement are you proudest of? As you think about those answers, consider what strengths helped you reach those end results. For example, maybe you stayed level-headed during a time-sensitive challenge, which propelled your team forward. Or, perhaps you’re creative, which once helped you devise an original, wildly successful campaign idea. What Comes Naturally?

What comes naturally to you? Consider where you feel the least amount of friction to get started—or to keep going. What tasks just seem to flow smoothly? What activities instill an “I’ve got this” attitude? Make a note of these instinctive skills now. For example, when there’s a conflict, can you easily understand both sides of the situation? If so, you’re likely a skilled mediator. Or, maybe you’re great at figuring out how to get from point A to point B. If so, you’re likely an excellent planner. What Separates You From Others?

Ask yourself: “How am I different from others? What’s something I do that others struggle to do?” In a room full of people, how do you tend to shine the brightest? To help you answer that question, consider what role you usually assume within groups. For example, are you known for being especially speedy—but also accurate? Are you hyper-organized and detailed? Do you bring an extra sense of enthusiasm, versatility, or patience to your work? Consider what separates you from the pack.

Finally, both in and outside of work, how do others see you? First, think about the professional feedback you’ve received in the past. What strengths have your managers and colleagues mentioned? If you can’t remember, turn to those you trust now and request that feedback. Then, think about what favors others tend to ask of you. For example, maybe you’re the one people come to for design tips, research advice, or tech knowledge. Make a note of that.

Your strengths are what make you stand out. They can be a natural part of your personality, or they can be aptitudes you’ve learned over time.

Either way, to uncover your strengths, ask yourself: “How do I see me, and how do others see me?”

Strength Examples

After answering those five questions, write down your top strengths. Try limiting yourself to one-word answers such as “disciplined” or “quick learner.” To get you started, here’s a list of common strengths. Which ones can you check off?

Adaptable. Are you excellent at “going with the flow” and adapting quickly? Are you comfortable taking things as they come?. Are you excellent at “going with the flow” and adapting quickly? Are you comfortable taking things as they come?

Organized. Do you have a knack for making order out of disorder? Are you skilled at arranging things so that they follow a logical sequence?

Inclusive. Do you notice when others are feeling left out? Are you skilled at helping people feel included and like they have a place at the table?

Analytical. Are you skilled at thinking through choices? Before taking action, do you consider all potential factors? Do you know how to avoid obstacles ahead of time?

Public speaking. Are you adept at speaking to a group? Can you put thoughts into clear, engaging, and impactful words?

Developer. Are you great at developing others? Do you know how to spot another’s potential and help them reach a higher standard of excellence?

Restorative. How are you at fixing things? When presented with a problem, are you talented at calmly figuring out what’s wrong and resolving that issue?

Positive. Do you normally look on the bright side of things? Can you use that enthusiasm to get others excited and feeling optimistic?

Futuristic. Are you skilled at seeing the big picture? Do you know how to brainstorm future ideas and start new, innovative projects?

As you think about your strengths, keep in mind that there’s no all-inclusive list—nor is there an ideal combination of strengths that will make you the most successful. Achievement has less to do with what strengths you have and everything to do with how you leverage them.

Leveraging Your Strengths

So, once you’ve uncovered your strengths, how can you use them to your advantage? First, reflect on what you’re currently doing. What’s working? What isn’t? Then, consider how you can redesign your habits to utilize and build on your top talents. Advance through the following cards to learn more.

Step1:

Reflect

At the end of each workday, spend a few minutes reflecting on two questions:

What strengths did I use today? How did I use them?
What are some missed opportunities?

As you write out those answers, be specific. For example, let’s say you work in customer service and one of your top strengths is “harmony”—meaning you’re great at finding consensus and resolving conflicts. If that’s the case, you might say:

Used strength: A colleague transferred a frustrated customer to my phone line, and I quickly calmed the person down and resolved the problem.
Missed opportunity: During a group meeting, I stayed silent as my coworkers argued—even though I could have helped resolve the problem.

Step 2:

Redesign

Next, after you’ve gathered some data, think about how you can redesign your habits to fit your strengths. Ask yourself: “Based on my reflections, what should I do more of?” and “How can I better play to my strengths?”

The actions you take don’t need to be revolutionary. Using the customer service example, you might encourage your coworkers to reach out if they’re dealing with a troublesome customer, thus giving you additional practice building your conflict-resolution skills. Or, you might make a greater effort to speak up when there’s a disagreement during meetings, thus taking action on those missed opportunities.

The trick with redesigning is to seek the opportunities you need, rather than hoping they fall into your lap. The exercise helps you create a better fit between your work and your top talents. And that allows you to habitually use those strengths, showcase your abilities, and further nurture your skills.

Summary

As Tim Ferriss wrote, “You don’t succeed because you have no weaknesses; you succeed because you find your unique strengths and focus on developing habits around them.”

Development is a journey. Developing your strengths takes time. The process is a journey that requires ongoing work. So, make those daily reflections a habit. Continue to think about how you can better use your strengths and stay persistent—because practice makes perfect.