Leveraging Your Strengths
Everyone has natural strengths. This certainly doesn’t mean that we can’t develop others! But each person is naturally better at some things than others. For example, some people are really good at empathizing, while others are better at seeing individual uniqueness. It doesn’t mean that they can’t do both. If you think about yourself for a moment, you probably lean more toward one than the other, though, right?
Knowing your strengths and being able to give them a name is a very powerful tool. Not too long ago, I took the CliftonStrengths assessment, which told me my top 5 strengths. This has been invaluable for a number of reasons both personally and professionally. My husband also took the assessment, and having us both know our strengths has been a great benefit to our relationship.
What is StrengthsQuest?
StrengthsQuest partners with a pretty big data and analytics company you have probably heard of - Gallup. They do all kinds of data collection, and their statistics are often cited in reputable publications. The Clifton StrengthsQuest assessment was originally created for students and educators to help them succeed in future careers, academics, and more broadly, life in general.
The assessment is 177 questions long, and you are instructed to choose the answer that sounds the most like you. The results come in the form of a Clifton StrengthsFinder Profile. There are 34 different strengths within the finder, and the profile gives the 5 strongest based on your answers.
The profile also explains what each of the strengths is with typical characteristics and traits. It gives you an idea of how you can best use these strengths, and how you might be able to overcome some potential weaknesses. As a whole, it’s pretty neat what you find out about yourself!
Why would I take this kind of assessment?
StrengthsQuest started out and is still used by many in the academic world. That’s where I first took it; however, knowing your strengths and being able to talk about them is universally helpful. Here’s why:
Gives you a common language to talk about what you’re best at. When you take the assessment, you may or may not already be able to list the things you excel at. Or, you might know what you’re good at, but not know how to concisely describe it. The StrengthsQuest assessment will give you words to talk about these strong areas. Other people who have taken the assessment will also know what these ideas mean, and if you’re talking to someone who hasn’t, at least you can accurately explain what didn’t have words for before.
Gives you a new (or perhaps revamped) perspective of yourself. We all have things we’re good at, and probably have since we were young. Sometimes we notice those things, and sometimes other people tell us. Seeing your top strengths on paper can help you reconsider what you assumed about yourself. Have you always known you were a “people-person”? Maybe you have one or more strengths that will show you why you work so well with others.
Shows you that you are, in fact, good at things. Everyone gets down on themselves sometimes. We all have vulnerable moments where we feel like a failure who can’t do anything right no matter how hard we try. The good news is, this isn’t true at all. The better news is that if you take the assessment, you will have a list of (verified) things you are good at. As much as it would be nice to be able to validate ourselves all the time, sometimes we need a little boost to show us that we don’t suck.
What are your strengths, Rachel?
When I took the assessment, I was not at all surprised by my results. I have been describing, in roundabout ways, most of these ideas for years. The ones that interested me most, that I did not have words for before, were Maximizer & Input.
Learner Being a learner means that I excel when I am learning new things. I need to learn, it’s not just something I want. I am interested in how I learn, partially because it’s helpful to recreate, but also because it’s interesting. I am also interested in how others learn. It’s much more about the process of learning than the outcome for me, so it’s not always about getting qualified to do something or getting a degree (although I have a couple of those and I did enjoy them).
Achiever As an achiever, I love checking things off of my to-do list. I get satisfaction from starting a new day at “0” and getting things done to feel like it has been a good and productive day. This is great at work, because I typically have a very high productivity on “good” days. This strength also extends to home and vacation, though, which can be a nuisance, if we’re being honest. I like getting things done, that’s how I feel most fulfilled, so it’s hard for me to just stop and relax.
Maximizer This is one of the strengths I was most interested in, because I didn’t have words for it before I took the assessment. Being a maximizer means that I am good at looking at something that’s just okay, finding and using the strengths, then making it the best it can be. I am good at seeing other people’s strengths and helping them to maximize and grow with them so they can be successful.
I typically don’t dwell on weaknesses because I find that most of them can be overcome if you work hard enough on your strengths.
Empathy Having empathy as a strength means that I am good at seeing things from other people's perspectives - even when I don’t agree. I understand what people are feeling, and I’m good at helping them find words for what they need to say when they need help. This shouldn’t be confused with sympathy, which would mean that I pity people’s predicament. When there’s a sad situation, I definitely do have sympathy, but empathy is something else. I can instinctively see where people are coming from, and so understand their motivation(s).
Input This was the other strength that was interesting, because once I thought about it, I immediately knew it was true, but I never thought about it as a strength. As a strength, input means that I collect things I think are interesting and will be helpful later on. I might not know how they will help - yet - but I like knowing things. I have always loved reading, and until recently, I hadn’t considered this a way to add more information to my archives, so to speak. After reading about this, though, it absolutely makes sense! Plus, I also love escaping into new worlds.
Altogether, my strengths are pretty interesting as a group. It’s very clear to me why I enjoy writing and teaching, and get bored quickly with tasks I learn quickly. My strengths helped me excel in school, and have continued to grow and help me begin a career.
How would this help me?
All of this might sound interesting, but too easy. You can’t just take an assessment and know yourself, right? Even if you could, what difference does that make in the big areas like our long-term career and education? Here’s why naming your strengths can be helpful in all aspects of your life:
Could help you figure out what kind of major or career to pursue. Knowing early in your life what you are naturally good at can make a lot of difference! If you are someone who enjoys learning, like me, going into a career where you can achieve the most right away and then hit a learning plateau will not be a good fit for you. You will get bored because there’s not enough to learn.
Similarly, you will probably want to pursue a major that requires creativity and critical thinking more so than finding the “right” answer and not applying it to anything. College is unique in the fact that you are learning so much both in and out of the classroom, but you don’t want to choose a major because you think it will be “easy” - your inner learner will not thank you for this.
Could help you figure out how to be happier. How happy are you with your life right now? Have you thought critically about why you feel this way? Many of us aren’t always satisfied with our job or relationship (even though we love our families dearly) and sometimes we get stuck in a rut. If you are not happy (or just stuck in the middle), figuring out what your strengths are could help you. If you are a maximizer, like me, maybe you can use that to build team morale at work. Take on a new project, even if it scares you a little, and work to change it up. If you’re really miserable, revamp your resume, maximizing your skills, and try to find somewhere better.
At home, maybe your strengths lead you to getting a new hobby or trying out something new with your partner or family. Something that stimulates you and allows you to get out of the rut.
When you aren’t happy, it takes a lot of energy away from other things you could be doing that you will actually enjoy.
Could help you figure out how to be your best self. Who doesn’t want to be their best self? I know I am constantly working to better myself, not just for me, but also for those around me. Knowing what I’m good at has allowed me to figure out what I’m not good at. Being an achiever, I find fulfillment in doing things...like, all the time. I am not good at relaxing or doing a “lazy” day on the weekend. To be clear, it’s not because I don’t want to sometimes! It’s more that I feel my best when I am getting things done.
My husband, on the other hand, has no problem taking lazy days on the weekend. It used to drive me crazy, but working together, we have been finding a balance between doing some things and relaxing. We’re teaching each other, based on our individual strengths, and that has had an undoubtedly positive effect on my life.
If I do find out, what do I do with that information?
This all probably sounds great, but you might still have some doubts. Having words for your strengths is fine...but, to really make it worth your while, you do have to put in some effort. Here are some great, and important, things you can do to leverage your strengths and make the most of your newfound knowledge.
Think about differences in terms of strengths rather than deficiencies. How many of us have, at some point, been critical of another person because they were doing something differently than we would have done it? Only to realize that what they did actually worked and it was fine (maybe even better than we would have done).
Part of the reason the world is beautiful is because of our differences! Finding your strengths can allow you to adjust your mindset and be conscious of the fact that just because someone is doing something differently doesn’t make it wrong, it’s just different. That person has a different set of strengths that s/he it utilizing to do life, just like you’re doing.
Being aware of that and acting on the awareness can really do wonders for assumptions we make about others.
Adjust your habits to better utilize your strengths. Whatever your strengths are, they are things that should play a prominent role in what you are doing at work, and even at home. When you can see and tangibly know what these strong points are, you can build and adjust habits in your life that will improve your life, and probably feel pretty good to boot!
For example, while it was no surprise to me that learning was my #1 strength, what I was doing at work and at home didn’t really reflect that - or many of the other strengths for that matter. I was able to create more learning opportunities for myself so I wasn’t so bored at my day job, and improve my planning habits because I was maximizing my time and talents.
Have conversations with those around you about your habits (and theirs). When you figure out what your strengths are, it may not be a ground-breaking day for you, although if it is, congratulations! While you make plans to improve your life and adjust your habits, people around you will notice. Hopefully, they will be encouraging, but this might not always be the case (especially if one of your new habits is setting boundaries).
Obviously, the people around you play an important role in your life, but you can’t let that stop you from doing what you need to do if they don’t react how you expect. To avoid major drama (or to stop it where it stands), have a conversation with those people. Explain that you are making changes, what they are, why you’re doing it, and what you need from them. You might need them to stop performing a negative behavior around you, or maybe you just need to know they are there if you need help. They can be on board, or not, but at least if you have a conversation, you will be at peace that you did what you could to show you value the relationship.
Finding your strengths can be an enlightening and valuable experience in all aspects of your life. I hope that, if you decide to take the assessment, it gives you as much knowledge and insight as you want/need! Have you already taken it? I’d love to hear about your strengths and how this knowledge has affected your life in the comments below or in an email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!