Identifying Core Strengths

My best salesperson was struggling because she was selling so much and could not keep up with the paperwork. She sucks at the latter, but paperwork made sure there was follow-through for customers and payments are collected. Conventional wisdom suggests weaknesses offer growth opportunities. But instead of coaching her to eliminate the weakness, I hired an administrator to do the admin stuff. Why? Don’t ask a monkey to swim when they are at their best, swinging in the trees. For her, admin work is demotivating. She dislikes it, and it distracts her from perfecting what she likes best- sell! When we leverage our strengths, it feels natural. Marcus Buckingham advises employees to identify and cultivate their natural skills and advantages. “If you want to win, if you want to excel, if you want to stand out, you’re going to have to take the few unique things about you that are beautiful and powerful, and take them seriously, and turn them into contributions.” Here are some ways to operationalise Buckingham's advice. 1. Use self-reflection and feedback to identify your strengths. Then name them, and find ways to leverage these optimally for others and for yourself. 2. Learn from people who are great at leveraging their strengths. 3. Find ways of applying and adapting your strengths to new situations and in different circumstances. 4. Manage your weaknesses by eliminating them, and if not possible, minimising their impact so they are not derailers. # 4 resonates with me. A LinkedIn friend, Andy, messaged me about an error on my LinkedIn profile. It was a highly visible mistake, but I missed it! I told Andy my carelessness was what got me into trouble early in my career. In my first job, many were vying to join the Planning Division. I got it. But I did not realise my weakness would show up big time as the work involved writing policy papers that are discussed at the Board level. Every letter, word and punctuation mark must be in order. Not getting every fact on point is a career breaker. I can’t ignore my weakness. I must manage it. I tried many ways to overcome it, but nothing worked. My manager coached, but I was beyond help. I am surprised I did not have a breakdown! Finally, I realise I could not change myself. So I changed jobs. Instantly, because of different job requirements, my weakness was not a derailer, just an irritant. I leverage my strengths, gain confidence, and eventually, recognition. Back to the salesperson who dislikes admin work. She still dislikes it. She also got promoted and is leading a team, helping them sell, sell, sell. And she is still getting bonuses for doing something she loves - selling. And how is the admin staff doing? Very well! Every salesperson appreciates that he helps them shine. And he gets a share of the team's bonus. When people leverage their strengths, they look forward to work instead of worrying about mistakes they will make. Agree?

If you're like me, you've probably struggled with that classic interview question: "What are your strengths?" Today, I want to share a personal story about self-discovery, AI, and how it helped me unearth hidden strengths I never knew I had. My journey began with curiosity. With extensive experience across software development, program and product management, I've always been keen on personal and professional growth. But the question was, how can I objectively identify my unique strengths? That's what AI has helped me answer. Sharing it in step by step format along with prompts. Step 1️⃣ : I began by feeding AI with detailed descriptions of my professional experiences, challenges, successes, and feedback from colleagues.  Prompt - "Analyze my professional journey and identify key themes or skills that are consistently mentioned or implied? Here's a summary of my experiences, challenges, successes, and feedback I've received: [Your detailed input here]." Step 2️⃣ : AI analyzed my input and revealed patterns I hadn't seen. It identified strengths like 'Customer Obsession,' 'Stakeholder Management,' and 'Innovative Problem-Solving' - skills I had been using unconsciously. Prompt: "Based on the information I've provided, what patterns do you see in terms of my professional strengths and how they have contributed to my successes?" Step 3️⃣ : The real 'aha' moment came when AI illustrated how these strengths played a pivotal role in my achievements. It connected the dots, showing me how my 'Customer Obsession' wasn't just a trait, but a driving force in my career. Prompt: Illustrate how my identified strengths, such as [insert identified strengths], have played a pivotal role in [specific achievements or projects] my career? Step 4️⃣ : AI suggested actionable ways to leverage these strengths further, tailoring advice to my career aspirations and current industry trends. Prompt: Based on my strengths like [insert identified strengths], can you suggest ways I can further leverage these in my [Insert current role or future career aspirations]?" This experience was an eye-opener for me, and it could be for you too. It's not just about identifying a list of strengths; it's about deeply understanding these skills in the context of your own unique professional journey. Think about how this awareness can shape your future, open new doors, and enhance your career trajectory. AI can help you unveil aspects of your professional life you might not fully recognize, offering insights that could transform your career path. The path to self-awareness and career growth is just one conversation away. P.S. If you are curious about how to apply AI to a business or personal problem, feel free to connect with me. I'd love to discuss and share insights on leveraging this technology to tackle various challenges. Let's explore the potential of AI together!

If you're struggling to identify your strengths, here are 5 questions to fix that: (1) What doesn't feel like work to you? (What feels effortless to you but difficult to others often reveals your deepest strengths.) (2) What energizes you? Look at your calendar from the past 2 weeks. For each meeting, task, and project, did it energize you or drain you? (3) What could you imagine working on for 5+ years, even without seeing much success? Where would you persist through setbacks? (4) Ask 3 people: "When do I seem most energized and in my element? What do you see me doing when I'm at my best?" (5)  What unusual combinations of skills do I have? (It's easier to become world-class at the intersection of 2-3 unusual skills than to become the best at any single skill.) Answering these 5 questions is important because research on career planning reveals we're often blind to our own strengths. What we're good at feels easy and natural, while our weaknesses create headaches that demand attention. So negativity bias keeps us focused on where we fall short. We also compare ourselves incorrectly, measuring against experts with 10,000+ hours instead of comparing our rate of improvement to others with similar experience. And we limit ourselves prematurely, ruling out entire paths based on current abilities rather than asking: "Which strengths are worth building?" What are your answers to these 5 questions? -- If you found this useful: ♻️ Repost to help your network too 🛎️ Follow me for more science-backed strategies

One of the most insightful exercises I've done in my workshops is to ask people about their distinctive strengths. What do you do well that others in your sphere don't? As a leader, employee, or simply a human being - identifying this strength and pairing it with a problem that needs solving allows you to achieve hypergrowth. Your distinctive strength could be anything you feel is unique to you. To Steve Jobs - it was creating aesthetically pleasing products and combining them with the latest tech. To me, it was maximizing, communicating, and continuous learning , which led me to pursue a Gallup Strengths Coach certification before becoming a leadership coach. I was able to absorb and apply new knowledge, strategically communicate high standards, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, helping me streamline into my new role. Consider jobs where you'd be the wild-card candidate - problems you can solve at an organization. The right problems are those you feel called to solve and can solve because of your experience. This is one thing I always recommend to people who are stuck on their path forward. The concept of distinctive strengths provides a sure-shot way of identifying who you truly are. What is your distinctive strength? #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #growthmindset

We all have blind spots. And they're hard to identify because... we're blind to them. This is particularly challenging when you're looking for your next job. You embark on this journey and start to question... "What am I actually good at?" 🛑 Before going any further, stop and do a "No BS" self-assessment Why "No BS"? The last thing you need is to get sugar-coated feedback. You need the nitty gritty truth. Here's how it goes: 1️⃣ Get the phone numbers/emails of 5 people you work(ed) with. These should be people who know your work well. Former bosses, coworkers, cross-functional stakeholders, team mates, mentors, etc. They also should be people you trust to give you a straight honest "no BS" answer. 2️⃣ Send them the message below: Hey [FIRST NAME], I’m going through an exercise to understand my strengths and weaknesses and would love some feedback. When we were working together what would you say were the top things that I was great/good at and what things would you say were my biggest weaknesses? I’m trying to grow and identify blind spots so don’t worry about hurting my feelings. I’m trying to create a no-BS self-assessment. Thanks, [YOUR NAME] 3️⃣ Compile the responses together and look for similarities. 4️⃣ The strengths they highlighted are your superpowers. 5️⃣ The weaknesses they highlighted are areas you need help. REMEMBER: The weaknesses highlighted DO NOT mean you need additional work and certification in those areas. Yes, it is helpful to become as well-rounded as possible, and improving your skills in those areas is one avenue you can take. But it's also ok to lean on others who have those strengths. 6️⃣ Use the information provided in your interviews. Now you have answers to any strengths and weaknesses questions. You also can tell them you proactively sought insight from others to identify your blind spots which shows massive initiative on your part. Happy hunting! --------------------------- P.S. Enjoy this? Repost to share with your network ♻️. And follow me, Kyle Thomas, for more posts like this. #startups #startupjobs #jobsearch #selfassessment

Most people spend their lives trying to fix what they are bad at. They focus on weaknesses, force themselves into boxes, and wonder why progress feels exhausting. The truth is, real momentum comes when you double down on what you are naturally wired to do well. That is why understanding your top strengths matters. When you know your core strengths, especially your top ten, you gain clarity around how you think, decide, communicate, and execute. Life gets simpler when you stop fighting your nature and start working with it. You become more effective in business, sharper in sales, and more confident in everyday decisions because you are operating from alignment instead of friction. What separates tools like CliftonStrengths from most personality tests is integrity. Many assessments can be gamed, you can answer how you want to be perceived instead of how you actually operate. CliftonStrengths, developed by Gallup, is designed to identify consistent patterns of thinking and behavior that show up over time. It reveals how you naturally process the world, not how you wish you did. That is why it holds up in real life, not just on paper. Doubling down on strengths is not about ignoring growth. It is about investing energy where you get the highest return. When you build systems, habits, and environments around what you are best at, everything accelerates. Sales improve because you sell in a way that fits you. Business decisions get clearer because you trust how you evaluate risk and opportunity. Life feels more sustainable because you are no longer pretending. The next level is not found by becoming someone else. It is found by becoming more of who you already are, on purpose, with clarity, and with confidence.

Forget the advice about working on your weaknesses. Doubling down on your strengths will unlock your next opportunity. I've learned a lot from hundreds of career conversations. My #MakingTheMove series spotlights over a dozen inspiring stories. The best career transitions happened when people: — recognized and built on their strengths — created visibility across their networks — learned how to adapt to new environments For example, when I was an intern: I quickly learned & developed skills as a SharePoint Admin Sharing best practices gave me more visibility Other teams started asking me to help them out  I became the first intern in my department to get a contractor gig Another team later recruited me as their Business Data Consultant Building on my strengths resulted in 2 career moves in 2 years that accelerated my growth and impact across the company. If you're looking to change the direction of your career: — identify your top skills (reflect + ask others) — find opportunities to strengthen those skills — scale your impact to maximize visibility Instead of hunting for opportunities, opportunities will be coming to you. What's one superpower that you want to develop further?