In order to support our growth, we require a strong network of roots. They anchor us and serve as a conduit for nutrients to help us develop and deliver on our goals.
This issue will focus on the importance of focusing on our strengths, rather than our weaknesses as we foster a more flexible mindset for adjusting to changing environments and challenges.
Thank you for following along my journey to Aspire to Grow.
Why Strength Focused Work Matters
As I continue my learning in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Coaching, I am always reminded of the role of strengths in making us more adaptable leaders.
After years of conforming to corporate Performance Management System ratings, as a leader and an employee, we focused on strengths and deficiencies to differentiate employees.
Let’s face it, no one ever cheered with a Meets expectations rating.
(I do understand the necessity for such rating systems for budgeting, compliance and organizational citizenship).
➡️So many of us stayed focused on our deficiencies.
This issue, instead of focusing on book and podcast summaries, I will provide a summary of really cool strength based leadership topics (well, I think they are really cool 🤓) I’ve recently rediscovered or learned.
Image source: QuoteFancy.com
The Science
Let me take us back past blogs: The idea of focusing on strengths builds confidence in ourselves.
Knowledge about our unique strengths help us thrive and navigate through opportunity and adversity (The Journey, No.5 – Self-Reflection – October 24, 2022).
I like to help clients determine their VIA character strengths as our work together begins. We use these as we reflect, work through challenges and opportunities. These strengths build self-awareness of one’s awesomeness. Change focused and rooted in our strengths has been shown to be more sustainable than change based on deficits.
When working through pivots, growth and new challenges, who doesn’t want to start with the ways in which they are uniquely strong?
Why It’s Important to Those We Lead
It’s not different when leading others.
Leading/Coaching with Compassion (The Root: Volume 4, Issue 3, April 2025) talks about the importance of coming from a place of positivity to increase engagement.
The science behind feeling more driven by purpose and compassion is the based on emotional attractors.
- PEA (positive emotional attractors)
- NEA (negative emotional attractors)
Working towards strengths (PEA) is ENERGIZING⚡and sustainable.
The Importance of Strengths
Living in our power
When we live in our strengths, we tend to thrive and be more resilient.
The VIA institute has identified 24 character strengths (image above). Based on your assessment (free assessment at www.viacharacter.org) you possess all 24, in a specific order.
The strengths 20-24 are still strengths, but possibly your natural abilities.
Based on your results, you are most happy and in flow when you are using your top 4-5 strengths. ❤️🌿
💭A really quick reflection – does that make sense when you look at your results?
Think of examples when this is true (in work or personal life).
That doesn’t mean we don’t OVERUSE or UNDERUSE the strengths from time to time.
If you are interested in learning more – here is a VIA Character Strengths video I created as part of a previous Self-Discovery Course
<you may wish to watch on 1.25x speed ⚙️>
Six Functions for Thriving
According to Niemiec, 2022, our VIA character strengths serve us through opportunity and adversity.
When we recall our strengths, we can determine how to move through good time and bad.
These are the six functions for how the character strengths serve us:
- Priming
- Reminding of us of our strengths before big moments
- Mindfulness
- In the moment, awareness, context setting and courage to take action
- Appreciation
- Spotting strengths in others gives us shows up as appreciation
- Buffering
- Provides us protection during adverse times or helps us adjust appropriately
- Reappraisal
- Reassessing situations from the lens of strength and opportunity (what might our role be in the situation)
- Resilience
- Allowing us to refocus on strength to bounce back from a setback
Other Strength Based Measures
Clifton Strengths is another strength based assessment allowing us to focus on building our core strengths, while recognizing areas of improvement.
They suggest that being too well rounded leads to mediocrity, but rather a team comprised of leaders and member with varying strengths are the most effective.
Of course the caveat is they must be great communicators, visionary thinkers and follow-through.
Reflection Questions to Consider
- What are you top strengths and how do they show up in your life?
- How might you find opportunities to develop your bottom strengths?
- Do you recognize when you may overuse your top strengths (for avoidance?)
- Do you recognize when you may underuse your top strengths
🔨TOOL: Lastly, please see this VIA Overuse/Optimal Use/Underuse Worksheet for reference (Source: VIA Institute).
Source: Niemiec, R. M. (2020). Six Functions of Character Strengths for Thriving at Times of Adversity and Opportunity: a Theoretical Perspective.Applied Research in Quality of Life, 15(2), 551-572.
Leader Connect: Monthly Leader Roundtables
Each month, we meet with leaders across many areas to discuss issues impacting us.
Join us to participate to connect and support each other through topics that impact us and our teams as trusted peers.
- Next Meet up: June 6, 2025
- 1:00 – 2:00 pm CST
- Theme: Building Your Own Resilience
It’s a confidential and safe environment to speak together.
We share, discuss and connect. No prep required. No cost, no sales pitch — just a bit of connection we all could use right now.
Please sign-up with link below (invite will be sent to you). If you sign up and something else comes up – no worries. 🌿
Thank you – here’s hoping your Spring is amazing, and that you spot your own strengths and those in others this month and beyond.
Sincerely, Kathleen
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