Strengths
Four Sources of Strength
Be strong all day long. Leverage four sources of strength by drawing strength from your mind, body, emotions, and spirit.
The Language of Strengths
Martin Seligman named a set of 24 Signature Strengths. Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. identified 34 key signature themes of strength. Use the language of strengths to find and share your character strengths and personal strengths with others.
Specialization is Nature’s Strategy for Winning
“You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.” — Jerry Garcia
It’s a Darwin world. If you want to survive, or thrive, in a Darwin world, you have to play to your strengths. More than that though, you need to differentiate and specialize. Specialization is nature’s strategy for winning.
Find Your Strengths Among Your Team
“Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.” – August Wilson
As a parting gift at the end of one of my projects, I wanted everybody to walk away with their list of personal strengths. Not just a list that I made up, or their own list, but a list of strengths through the eyes of the team.
How To Have a Strong Week
This post is an experiment on multiple levels. First, I’m testing how well I can get feedback on content for my book, by sharing content on my blog. Second, I’m testing how well I can share a techniques that’s easy for me to do live, but tough to write down. This is the same exercise I go through with my mentees at Microsoft to have more energy, have more fun, and get more done. It’s about spending more time in your strengths, and less time in your weaknesses.
A Language for Strengths
I like learning the language around a given topic to build precision and depth. When you have a language for something, it helps you think, organize, and share knowledge more effectively. The same is true for strengths. Your strengths are among your greatest assets. Simply put, they help you give your best where you have your best to give. To find, study, and explore your strengths, you should know the language of strengths.
