As a Certified High Performance CoachTM I help people to achieve a level of consistent excellence and success in all areas of their lives.
Part of this process involves understanding and leveraging their true strengths.
So if I had to ask you what your strengths are, what would you say?
When I ask my clients this question they almost always respond by listing off their skills, talents, and abilities – in other words, their competencies. And they are of course not wrong.
But what if I told you that this definition or interpretation of “strengths” lacks a very important element—one that significantly multiplies opportunities to achieve long term success, excellence, happiness, and joy…plus less stress and more energy!
If that is the case, you may wonder, then what is this other definition of ‘strengths’ that so many have overlooked that holds the missing link?
It’s a definition developed and based on the scientific research of Dr. Paul Brewerton and James Brook that forms the foundation of the StrengthscopeTM Assessment and philosophy. Brewerton and Brook define strengths as the “underlying qualities that energize us, contribute to our personal growth, and lead to peak performance.” In other words, their definition requires we look at strengths in terms of how something ENERGIZES us and not just what we may be skilled or talented at doing.
And this makes so much sense. Think of some of the things that you may be really, really good at but which suck the life out of you – we all have them. Maybe it’s finances, or perhaps it’s writing or organization. How far do think you will go, how truly successful will you be without your health and happiness being affected, if you are doing something that you are very good at, but it leaves you feeling drained and exhausted.
This is the missing link – taking into consideration whether what you do energizes you or not. Because if something does not consistently energize you and make you feel great, then it is much less likely that you will put consistent effort towards it. And without that consistent effort your level of success will eventually plateau. So in this context and definition of strengths, your strengths actually need to make you feel stronger!
Now imagine if you overlay these two definitions and combine together the competencies that actually energize you – BAMM! That is where the magic happens and that is the foundation of the StrengthscopeTM philosophy and one I absolutely believe in.
With insights learned from the Strengthscope assessment, you can maximize your strengths, which means you’ll live and work in a more highly energized way. The assessment will identify your top seven energizing strengths (out of 24), and you’ll learn to use those strengths together and combine them with your competencies to achieve even more at work and in life. And that is how you create a greater level of success while at the same time experiencing less stress and more energy and joy.
When you do this, I believe there is no limit to the success you can achieve!
What can you do today to get started towards creating this level of success in your life? Start paying attention to what energizes you and what drains you. Do this by keeping a journal for a couple weeks and document everything you do that energizes you or drains you – these will be your first clues. And then look for patterns and go from there. For example, I know that personally, activities involving critical thinking energize me, whereas activities involving persuasiveness tend to be more draining for me. So I actively seek out projects and activities where critical thinking will be involved. And I try and limit activities that involve a lot of persuasiveness, recognizing as well that it is not that I cannot be persuasive, it just doesn’t energize me and therefore it is not something I am going to be drawn to as much.
So start to pay attention and see what your energizers and drainers are and in that context identify these strengths that can truly making you stronger, that can maximize your potential and which will contribute to you creating greater joy and success in your life.
Until next week – embrace your inner truth, live your purpose and make your contribution in the world.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Lauren
**For more information or to order your StrengthscopeTM Assessment email me at lauren@laurenjawno.com; Subject: Strengthscope.
