Who’s defining your strengths?

Written by Alex Poeter

If I were to ask you right now what all of your strengths are, would you be able to give me a complete list?  What if I took it a step further and asked you specifically about your personal, professional and leadership strengths?  Would you be able to fully see your strengths and the value you bring to this world?  And what if I asked people who know you quite well and want the best for you, would they identify even more strengths than you did?

I’ve found that reflecting on these types of questions frequently is crucial if we want to increase our impact and professional success.  And here is why.

In my experience, we tend to have a limited awareness of our strengths and the value we bring to this world.  And here are some of the reasons for this.  Because of societal conditioning, it's usually easier to focus only on strengths that have been recognized by others, rather than take a real look at ourselves.  Many of us have been conditioned to hide or not focus on our strengths because others have felt threatened by them.  This is particularly true for marginalized and less privileged groups.  In all of these cases, our awareness of our strengths and the value we bring has been determined by others.  That’s why it’s important that we take the step to fully connect with and reclaim our strengths.  While this might require some reflection time or journaling, it’s time well spent.

Here is another big reason why it’s so important to become fully aware of all your strengths and the value you bring: If you're not fully aware of all your strengths, it’s likely that others aren’t either.  For others to notice our strengths and the value we bring, we have to notice and fully own them first.  So, if you want others to notice your strengths and true potential, I’d invite you to spend some time reflecting on the following questions:

What would those whose lives I’ve impacted in positive ways say my strengths are?

What would those who know me well and have my best interest at heart say my strengths are?

What do I think all my strengths are based on the positive impact I’ve been able to create for others?

And I would invite you to actually talk to some people who know you well and who you trust so you can ask them what they think your strengths are.  This is a great way of reconnecting to your strengths and learning about strengths you may not even have been aware of.