BLOG | Strengths 101 | Andrew Stead - Leadership Transformations

When you were a child, did you ever dream of having super-powers? Imagining how you’d deploy your new-found flying skills or ability transmute into a snail? Well guess what, we all have super-powers! And they’re called our strengths!

Self-awareness is fundamental for developing our full potential and maximising our talents. Often, we focus on our weaknesses and how we might tame them. And in doing so we may be overlooking the potent and powerful reasons we should recognise and indeed play to, our strengths. Here’s some of the science that highlights the benefits of using our strengths:

#1 Self-Confidence
We all like a good slap on the back. And we all deserve one. Especially if it comes from ourselves. Science demonstrates that validation and the development of personal strengths improves our individual self-confidence.
#2 Growth
A Strengths-based approach has also been associated with greater development and achievement. That’s because identifying our strengths creates positivity in our brain. We associate different strengths to different areas of our grey matter. And then we seek to extend those areas, in a beautiful, virtuous circle of improvement.

#3 Mental Fitness
Evidence suggests that developing strong character strengths is a powerful weapon against the dangers of depression and suicide. But that’s not all! feeling good about ourselves makes us happier. And happiness is contagious! So, once we start to feel good about our self, we begin to see how truly inspiring we can be to others, when we demonstrate our strengths!
#4 Success
The science also says that when we’re aware of what we’re good at, our success increases. Learning how to manage what we aren’t so good at is no longer an obsession. Instead, when we focus on our strengths, we’re left to maximise our full potential.

So be sure to identify your strengths and boost your growth in the right direction!

But sometimes that’s not as easy as it sounds is it? Being our own judge can be tricky to say the least. We can be hypercritical and pay more attention to our weaknesses at the expense of our strengths, especially those we might value less. Hence, it’s important to keep developing that faculty of non-judgemental observation, to stay focused and stay objective.

Now that it’s clear that finding our strengths makes us feel happier and full of purpose, let’s have a quick look at how we go about it!

#A Forget
Forget your job title, your career, your education, the expectations of your family, your partner and especially your judgemental self. Take a pen and paper and write down ALL the skills you’ve developed over the years. Once you’re done, organise the list into groups and have another crack at it and add a bunch more down! Now observe how many of these skills are your strengths and mark them.

#B Listen
Sometimes being objective when it comes to our self can be extremely difficult. So, I suggest you also go ask your family and friends, maybe even your colleagues or your community to list your 5 best strengths. Observe their feedback and use it as an opportunity improve your listening skills!

#C Rank
Include both of these strengths lists in a new, single list and rank them: what are you best at now?! Keep listing your weaker abilities and skills until you have a list of between 5 & 10 parameters.

#D Feel
Now’s the harder part, at least for most of us. You listened to those around you and you listened to your own conscious ideas, Now I want you to deeply listen to your subconscious and unconscious. “My word, how on earth do I do that?” I hear you ask! I want you to listen carefully, diligently, patiently, to your body. I want you to observe how you feel while you imagine performing a specific task or skill. Or even when you do it in reality. Do you feel energised? Is your mood uplifted? is your body enjoying this activity? Highlight the skills and strengths that make you feel GOOD.

BLOG | Strengths 101