Work from Your Strengths

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you already mastered, you will never grow.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday; but chances are you don’t because you are not working from your greatest assets, your strengths. Do you realize you have barely scratched the surface of your potential? Most people do not have a clue to what their strengths are and allow their weaknesses to take hold.

According to Tom Rath in his book “Strengths Finder”, you devote more time fixing your shortcomings than developing your strengths. If you always work from what you can’t do you never step up to discover the crucial stretches essential for growth and what you can do. By working from your strengths you are guided to choose the work that you do, the kind of people you like to associate with and the areas you want to step up to. In business this reflects in how you deal with the stress of the changing market-place. You improve the balance and success in your life.

Character strengths are manifested in your thoughts, your emotions and your behavior. They are your true essence that account for you being your best self in all areas of your life and especially as a business owner. To reinforce your strengths, practice them in a new way. Choose your top 3 to 5 strengths and brainstorm strategies for improving core areas of the business that revolve around those strengths. Ask your associates what they think your strengths are and what things you can do to enhance them.

Rath’s book has a web link that lets you assess your strengths, with the ideas and strategies that can help you change the way you look at yourself and conduct yourself everyday. To take the upgraded Strengths Finder test, you’ll need to purchase the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath, it has a key that gives you online access to an assessment and report.

 The Challenge: To stay on top it takes discipline. What are 3 of the disciplines you need daily to stay on top of your business? Are you doing them?