Identifying Career Strengths

I’ve coached thousands of job seekers who felt lost and overwhelmed. Here are the 10 steps we start with to find the right path: 1. Your #1 Priority Clarity should be the first thing you invest in. It makes career success SO much easier (at every stage). When you have clarity, you can invest 100% of your energy into that goal. So before you start applying to jobs or grad school? Find your path. 2. The Myth Of “Passion” People think passion is a lightning bolt that suddenly hits you. One day you wake up knowing what you're supposed to do. That's BS. Passion stems from action. It's the result of trying new things. If you want to find your path? You need to act. 3. Map Out Your Ideal Lifestyle Career happiness doesn't come from a job title. It stems from the ability to meet your lifestyle needs: – Target salary – Ideal living situation – Surrounded by people you love – Work that fills your cup Start by defining all of these things. 4. Label Your Energy Next, grab a piece of paper. Make two columns: 1. Energy Creators 2. Energy Drainers Now list out every single activity, task, and project you've worked on. Label each as a creator or drainer. Your career path should be filled with energy creators. 5. Clarify Your Strengths Success is easier when your path plays to natural strengths. I recommend the High 5 Test. It's a 15 minute quiz that will define your top strengths. It'll tell you what each means and how to harness it. Talent: A natural way of thinking, feeling, behaving × Investment: Time spent practicing, developing your skills, or building a knowledge base = Strength: The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance 6. Find People Doing "Cool" Stuff Now you've created clarity around your strengths, energy, and ideal lifestyle. Next, I want you to find people already living that life. Who has a job you admire? What jobs have seemed “cool” to you in the past? Make a list of 30+ contacts. 7. Reach Out & Learn Make a daily habit of reaching out to one person. Be honest about your situation and desire for clarity. Then make sure to build up their achievements and mention why you admire them. Here's the email template I used when I was on this journey: The Winning Template: Subject: Quick Question  Hi [Name], My name is [Your Name] and I came across your information on LinkedIn while I was looking for people who transitioned into [Industry/Field] from a non-traditional background. Your background is really impressive! I saw you do different fields and [Industry/Field] really piqued my interest. If you have a few minutes, I’d love to hear more about your journey and how you landed in your role today. I know that’s a big ask so no worries if it’s too much. I totally understand. Either way, hope you have a great rest of the week!  

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?

Prepare for every job interview by recognizing that your personal brand is as crucial as your resume. Your personal brand is essentially the distinctive narrative you wish to convey about yourself in a professional setting, defining who you are, your strengths, and what sets you apart. Here's a guide to cultivating a robust personal brand during interviews: 1. Self-Exploration: Before branding yourself, delve into self-reflection. Identify your strengths, values, and passions that distinguish you. 2. Spotlight Your Strengths: Showcase your unique strengths, be it problem-solving, leadership, or creativity. Align these strengths with the job requirements. 3. Consistent Online Presence: Ensure your online presence on platforms like LinkedIn aligns with your personal brand. Update profiles with professional content and a suitable photo. 4. Emphasize Achievements: Highlight your accomplishments in your resume and interviews. Provide specific examples that demonstrate positive outcomes and quantify achievements when possible. 5. Dress for Success: Your appearance contributes to your brand. Dress appropriately, erring on the side of slightly overdressed. 6. Be Authentic: Let your personal brand reflect your true self. Authenticity is key; don't attempt to be someone you're not. 7. Communicate Effectively: During interviews, communicate with clarity and confidence. Non-verbal cues like eye contact and a firm handshake are just as vital as verbal communication. 8. Gratitude Post-Interview: After the interview, send a thank-you note reinforcing your personal brand. Express ongoing interest in the role and your eagerness to contribute to the company's success. Remember, building a personal brand is an ongoing endeavor, not limited to interviews but integral to your entire career. Consistency in your brand presentation makes you memorable, relatable, and appealing to potential employers.

We’re wired to fixate on what’s “wrong” with us. But what if the real transformation starts by tuning into what’s right? So many of us live in a loop of overanalyzing our flaws and ignoring the very strengths that make us powerful, creative, and whole. It’s not your fault. Our brains are wired to zoom in on what we perceive as weaknesses, often overshadowing our strengths. What shifts everything? Learning to name, nurture, and lead with your strengths. When we focus only on what’s missing: - We feel inadequate and dissatisfied. - We avoid challenges due to fear of failure. - We feel stagnant in our personal and professional growth. - We have frequent stress and anxiety over our perceived shortcomings.   But learning to identify and embrace our strengths is a game-changer.   It's not just about feeling good about ourselves.   It's about leveraging what we’re good at to make a real impact in our personal and professional lives. Understanding our unique strengths can elevate it all.   Start flipping the script and asking:   "What am I good at?"   "How can I use this more?"   Rather than dwelling on what you think you lack.   The beauty of embracing a strength-focused mindset?   - Confidence soars. - Creativity flourishes. - Performance reaches new heights by leveraging your natural talents. - You feel a deeper sense of fulfillment and well-being.   Imagine the ripple effect in work environments where everyone operates from a place of strength.   As you work on identifying your strengths, take stock of the moments you've felt most engaged and alive.   Chances are, you were operating from your strengths.   Seek feedback from those who know you well to gain deeper insights.   The key is to keep this strengths perspective at the forefront of your mind.   This strengths-based lens will guide your decisions and actions.   It's not just about personal growth.   It's about enriching our collective experiences and contributions in every area of life.   Tell us your view on the strengths-based perspective below.   Sharing stories is one way for us to come together as we begin making transformative change in our lives.   Let’s embark on this journey together 🌻 —   👋 I’m Matt McDavid, a licensed therapist. I can help you feel free -- free to trust yourself, free to express your creativity, and free to live an intentional and meaningful life.   📅 Click the link at the top of this post to 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 now!

Being busy feels productive… until it doesn’t. Sound familiar? It’s a trap I’ve seen many people fall into (myself included). A calendar with weekdays packed from 9-6 pm, inbox near zero, every hour maximized. But by Friday afternoon, what was the actual impact? In a Harvard Business School study, people who paused for just 15 minutes of reflection performed 23% better than those who didn’t. Self-reflection is a form of 'deliberate practice.' Research by psychologist Anders Ericsson shows that top performers systematically reflect on their performance to improve. It was not overnight, but over time, I’ve stepped away from measuring my week by the volume of my work. No matter where I am, each week I carve out a few minutes to reflect—not on busyness, but on value. A few questions I always come back to include: • What conversation this week will still be creating value in a month? • What assumption did I hold on Monday that was proven wrong by Friday? • Where was I able to contribute the most value? • What did I learn that should be applied to next week? Think of reflection as compound interest for your career. A small, consistent investment of focused thought yields massive returns in clarity, continuous improvement and impact over time. How do you close your week with purpose? What's one question that helps you start the next one stronger? Share your thoughts in the comments. #Growth #CareerDevelopment #Productivity #Reflection

‘Fix your weaknesses.' Bosses advise it. Books preach it. We believe it. As a CEO that has coached 100+ leaders, I can definitively say: This is the worst career advice people follow. I remember being a fresh engineering grad on VMware's product marketing team. I watched our GM give an inspiring all-hands—he was funny, charismatic, everything I wasn’t. My conclusion: I'm a bad public speaker. I must become great at it to lead. The more leaders I met, the longer my list of ‘weaknesses to fix.’ My first big project was analyzing growth potential across geographies, for that same executive. Being a natural at analysis, I quickly unified all levers into one metric to track our penetration in different markets. I then spent all of my time improving my presentation skills. In the end, my delivery was mediocre but that metric changed how executives saw our business. Every subsequent win came from my strengths. The more I leaned in, the faster I grew. Two years later, I was placed in the top 2% of the company—despite being below average in many areas. I see the same pattern in every leader I coach: they shine using their strengths, and underperform when copying others. Here’s why: The best careers are built on solving hard problems. This requires Top 1% skills. Focusing on your strengths is the only path to developing Top 1% skills. Here’s the math I’ve observed across hundreds of people: • Work on your weakness: Takes over a decade to get to Top 10% • Work on your strengths: Takes only a couple of years to get to Top 1% See if this rings true in your own career. My advice for developing your strengths: 1. Find Your Superpowers Don't overcomplicate this. Ask people who know you best: 'What am I uniquely great at?' Better yet, ask yourself: 'What seems effortless to me but difficult for my peers?' Hint: this tends to line up with what you love doing. 2. Double Down on them Got a gift for storytelling? Become obsessed. Read every book. Find mentors who share your strength. Don't just be great—become exceptional. 3. Here's the Real Game-Changer: Don't adapt to the role. Adapt the role to you. I’ll give you an example. Early on I watched other leaders do huge team rallies because that's 'what leaders do.' But I was better in small groups. So instead of copying them, I did quarterly 1:1s and intimate team dinners. Took the same time, built deeper connections, played to my strengths. Let me be clear: Don’t completely ignore your weaknesses. But spend most of your time on developing and using your strengths. That’s the key unlock for a 10x career. Take a minute to look at your biggest project. Are you playing to your strengths, or following someone else's formula?

IT’S NOT YOUR STRENGTHS, IT’S THE CONTEXT In which context do you have at least three significant strengths?   A seasoned Finnish coach Antero Ojanaho wrote a couple of days ago:   Individual strengths are not nearly as important in (management) work and life in general as combinations of strengths. As a rule of thumb, for example, a manager should have at least three (3) significant strengths in the context in which he works. The best leaders usually have 5-7 significant strengths. I found this an excellent example of how to think upside down. Those of you who have followed me know that my favorite example is changing “How I can find a job?” into “How does the job find me?” From Antero’s insight, it’s easy to change “What are your strengths?” into “In which context do your strengths leverage best?” Of course, this is not that simple. First, you have to build up the combination of strengths. But I love the challenge: figure out a combination of three significant, compatible strengths that will give a competitive advantage. In software development, an example of such a combination could be technical expertise, collaboration, and resilience. Technical skills, coupled with the ability to collaborate with diverse teams and resilience to overcome setbacks, are essential in rapidly evolving technological landscapes. But if the client plans for a career pivot, what could be alternative contexts where this combination would give them an edge? Possible jobs could be 1️⃣ Project Manager Technical expertise allows for a deep understanding of project requirements, collaboration skills ensure effective teamwork and communication, and resilience helps in managing setbacks and changes in project scope.   2️⃣ Cybersecurity Analyst Technical expertise is essential in understanding vulnerabilities and implementing security measures, collaboration is crucial for coordinating responses to potential threats, and resilience is vital in dealing with the dynamic nature of cybersecurity challenges.   What if we go further and think about the best leaders having 5-7 significant strengths?   Let’s assume our client is a Healthcare Administrator. Her strengths combination could be e.g. ☑ Empathy ☑ Strategic Planning    ☑ Interpersonal Skills ☑ Decision-Making ☑ Ethical Leadership ☑ Financial Acumen ☑ Crisis Management   With this combination, she would be a perfect applicant in e.g. ✅ Nonprofit Organization Director (because of her ability to strategize, manage finances, and lead with empathy); ✅ Human Resources Manager (while having strong interpersonal skills, ethical leadership approach, and crisis management experience); or ✅ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager (due to ethical leadership, strategic planning, and interpersonal skills). Take stock of your combination and review in which contexts you’d make a perfect fit! #CoachRisto #CareerPerceptions #strengths #careerpivot  

Are You Aligning Your Strengths with What Your Organization Values? A few years ago, a talented professional, came to me feeling frustrated. Despite her hard work, she wasn’t moving forward in her department. After a core competency analysis, we discovered the reason: She excelled in technical skills, but the company placed heavy emphasis on leadership, initiative, and innovation—areas where she wasn’t fully demonstrating her potential. To fix this, we crafted a plan to develop these core competencies. We assigned her small team projects to build leadership experience, and encouraged her to share her innovative ideas. Within six months, she was recognized as a natural leader, and new opportunities started opening up for her. 🌱 📊 Here’s How You Can Assess Your Organization’s Core Competencies: 👉Review Job Descriptions: Look at the required skills for your current and aspirational roles. Companies often include key competencies in job postings. 👉Pay Attention to Company Culture: Observe what behaviors are praised and rewarded—this is often a reflection of the core competencies the organization values. 👉Engage with Leadership: Ask for feedback and guidance on what the organization sees as vital for success in your role. 👉Study Performance Reviews: Look at what’s being measured in performance evaluations—this will reveal the competencies your company values most. 💡 Key Action Points: 🔆Assess the core competencies your organization values most. 🔆Identify where your strengths align with those competencies. 🔆Take proactive steps to develop in-demand skills like leadership and innovation. Feeling stuck in your role? It might be time to reassess your competencies and align your strengths with what the organization values. Start today and unlock new opportunities! #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #CoreCompetencies #Innovation #Initiative #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipSkills #CareerAdvancement #SkillDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment

I often talk about my love of tennis. Like most sports, we learn nuggets of wisdom that can be applied to all aspects of life, work and beyond. Here is my latest learning. Recently, I have been spending time playing with a friend in her 70s. In her 20s she was a tennis coach, then went on to law school and on to build a company. An impressive resume. Equally inspiring is the way she navigates around a tennis court. You might assume she wouldn’t be the fastest player on the court—but you’d be wrong. She moves with purpose, anticipates every shot, and consistently outplays younger, stronger opponents. She is an all-around smarter player than most, so anytime we play I make sure to take advantage of her strategic wisdom. Recently, she pointed out to me that many tennis players think the only way to win is by hitting the ball the hardest, which might work at the pro level but not at the amateur level. This is where brains versus brawn comes in.  She says “Hit the ball where your opponent isn’t.” So simple. She’s not expending energy just to show power—she’s being strategic with every move. The same is true in our careers. Success isn’t just about working harder or longer hours—it’s about working smarter. Leveraging smart tactics including: ✅ Recognize your unique strengths and lean into them. Too often, we focus on what we lack instead of sharpening what we already do well. If you’re a strong communicator, double down on it. If you’re an analytical thinker, find ways to make that your superpower. The more you embrace what sets you apart, the more effective you’ll be. ✅ Identify the gaps—not just in your own skill set, but in your company, industry, or market. The best players (in tennis and in business) don’t just react—they anticipate. What skills do you need to sharpen? Where is there an unmet need in your field that you’re uniquely positioned to fill? You don’t have to be good at everything—just be smart about where you can make the biggest impact. ✅ Be intentional with your energy. Not every challenge requires maximum force; sometimes, a well-placed, strategic move makes all the difference. Instead of saying yes to everything or working yourself to exhaustion, think about where your efforts will have the highest return. Are you putting your energy toward things that truly move the needle? Advancing in your career isn’t about exhausting yourself—it’s about being focused, adaptive, and strategic. Where can you redirect your energy today to work smarter?

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