Focusing on what you’re naturally good at can transform your career and personal life. Instead of exhausting yourself by trying to fix weaknesses, why not elevate the unique talents that set you apart? It’s time to shift gears and lean into what makes you exceptional.
In 1998, Martin Seligman, president of the American Psychological Association, began investigating what makes people happy and fulfilled. He wanted to move beyond studying anxieties and mental illnesses. This led to the development of positive psychology—a scientific study focused on human flourishing. It explores how uncovering and elevating strengths can help people excel and thrive.[1]
For many years companies and individuals have been focusing on trying to develop the weaknesses rather than elevating strengths.However, over 30 years ago, Dr. Don Clifton revealed that you shall concentrate on your strengths and “only” manage your weaknesses.[2] This doesn’t mean ignoring your weaknesses but learning how to operate with them until the point where it is not a problem for you in your private or professional life without necessarily trying to master them.
Why focus on your natural strengths instead of areas for development? What are the advantages of this approach? If you are aware of your natural gifts and able to use them in your daily life, you will most likely experience:
Self-awareness is a cornerstone and starting point for any personal or career advancement. By raising your self-awareness, you can better understand your strengths, learn to manage your weaknesses, and focus on how to elevate your unique talents to the next level. But how can you discover your strengths and enhance your self-awareness?
1. Self- observation and reflection
Understanding your strengths starts with taking a closer look at yourself. Reflecting on moments when you feel most energized and engaged can reveal a lot about where your natural talents lie. Consider these questions to guide your self-discovery:
The things that we are naturally talented at and are our strengths are usually easy for us, and we enjoy doing them. They bring us into a state of “flow,” where we forget about everything around us.
2. Explore others views
Be proactive and check with your colleagues, line manager, stakeholders, family where they think your strengths are. More insights, more food for thought.
3. Journaling
Keep track of your feelings, insights, and experiences. Journaling daily, weekly, or even monthly will help you better understand yourself—what situations energize you, what puts you in the flow, and what drains your energy.
4. Take a professional personality assessment
Currently, there are many available personality assessment tools on the market. For example, there are Clifton Strengths 34, Insight Discovery, DISC, Lumina, etc. These tools can help you to reveal dominant traits of your personality and your strengths as well as blind spots.
5. Become CMO: Chief Mindset Officer
Never forget that you are the master of your life and career—the Chief Mindset Officer. A positive mindset can increase your likelihood of being promoted by 40%. The good news is that you have full control over your mindset and how you approach challenges along your career journey. So, what will you decide?
By understanding who you are, identifying your strengths, and learning how to manage your weaknesses, you’ll naturally become a more confident, empathetic, and influential person.
Are you ready to gear up?
Resources:
[1] Achor, Shawn (2010). The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work. New York: Crown Business.
Positive Psychology Institute (2012). What is positive psychology?´[Online] Available from: http://www.positivepsychologyinstitute.com.au/what_is_positive_psychology.html
Pennock, Seph Fontane (2015). What is Positive Psychology:7 definitions´. Positive Psychology Program, 3 April [Online] Available from: http://positivepsychologyprogram.com/what-is-positive-psychology/
[2] Gallup: What we learned from 25 million CliftonStrengths assessments? [Online] Available from:
https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/344669/learned-million-cliftonstrengths-assessments.aspx
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