We spent the day at Stillwater with our staff learning about strengths. I feel like I’ve learned my strengths before but something clicked this time. I get the entire paradigm shift it takes to transition from focusing on our weaknesses to leveraging our strengths.
Our society focuses on what we’re not good at. Our grade cards, performance reviews, and the New Years list remind us of all we need to work on.
What if we spent our lives focusing on the things we’re already good at? Then we surround ourselves with people who are good at our weaknesses. Everyone wins. Everyone is doing what they’re passionate about.
Seems too simple. Must be a catch…
My top 5 strengths according to StrengthsFinder & the Gallup Poll company:
Communication: easy to put thoughts into words, good conversationalist, listen, express effectively, energy is in the exchange, like stories, telling stories, break silence, “I can’t not tell them”
Empathy: ability to sense feelings of other people, imagine themselves in others’ lives, walking around in life with sign on neck that’s invisible & magnetic that says “I won’t hurt you,” may not agree with people but will be safe space, cry easily at movies, managing is important, but can often read what’s not there
Developer: deep satisfaction in seeing others grow step by step, energized seeing potential in other people, helping others mature, celebrate incremental growth, doing what I can to facilitate it, teachers
Positivity: contagious enthusiasm, pied paper, like to have fun, others want to join in, make bad things fun so they’ll want to do it
Strategic: sort to best, efficient past, hate long routes from A to B, frustrated when others want to take long route
Other thoughts…
MYTH: If I can just fix my weakness, everything will be great
FACT: You’ll become adequate but not wonderful
MYTH: Practice makes perfect, you can do anything you put your mind to
FACT: Practicing a strength makes perfect
Give yourself permission to own your strengths.
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