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Know Thyself: Put Your Best You Forward.
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The Best Gift: Knowing Your Strengths and How to Use Them
December 24, 2008 | Author: Jessica Howard | Filed under: Career Change, Moving Up, Musings, The Networking Habit
For many people out there, the best gift this season would be a new job. All wrapped up with a bow on top.
No matter what’s on our career wish list, it’s a good idea to take stock of the gifts we already have. What are our innate talents? Maybe we’re always the funniest person in the group, the calmest under pressure, the most persuasive negotiator, or the smoothest at sales.
What are your core strengths and what is your unique genius? In his blog, entrepreneur Aaron Ross describes unique genius as “a special mashup of your talents and enjoyments, done in a way that adds meaning to your life by making a difference for others.”
Think about the skills and qualities that have sparked the most positive feedback in your life and whether your career is capitalizing on them.
The Gallup organization has done decades of research on assessing personal strengths, and has established that working on strengths is much more productive than trying to change weaknesses. To get a better sense of your personal strengths, try taking an online self-assessment test.
In terms of leadership, Gallup has found that effective leaders are not, as we often think, well-rounded people. They are people who know their strengths and build teams that complement them. After studying more than a million work teams, Gallup also found that when an organization’s leader focuses on individual’s strengths, the level of engagement soars.
The latest book based on Gallup’s research, Strengths Based Leadership, by Barry Conchie and Tim Rath, will be out Jan. 6, 2009.
Personal development guru Steve Pavlina underlines the importance of determining your strengths and using them:
You’ll be happiest working in a career that allows you to take advantage of your strengths on a daily basis. This will enable you to make a significant contribution to your field.
So, it’s worthwhile to think about your gifts, and what you can do with them.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
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