Early in my career, I was always confused about the best way to answer this simple (and predictably asked) interview question: "what are your greatest strengths?" And while the answer gets easier with experience, it wasn't until I started learning about the 24 character strengths that things started to click.
Your character strengths represent the core parts of your personality. They’re positive traits that create resilience, help you manage adversity and feel empowered. With six core themes and 24 universal strengths, knowing how you rank and experience each of them helps authentically express who you are. (You can learn yours in about 10 minutes by taking the free survey from the VIA Institute on Character.)
Your Strengths Matter
Learning my top strengths was incredibly validating and it gave me an anchor point for that tough job interview question (and countless other things). Among my top five character strengths, I'm most proud to rank high in perspective and zest:
📌 Perspective: Offering advice that considers different perspectives and helps clarify the big picture
📌 Zest: Feeling vital and full of energy, enthusiastically approaching life with zest
Aside from the typical job interview, knowing your strengths can have a hugely positive impact in your life:
In the running for that promotion? 💼 Now you've got an evidence-based list of your best qualities. Learn it, leverage it. Weave them into conversations, making a case for how they're relevant to your professional growth.
Meeting new people but can't stand the small talk? 🤸♀️ Review your list of strengths and look for qualities you can capitalize on - or better yet, talk about the concept of character strengths and see how people react.
Want to be happier? 💫 There's a correlation between your happiness and using your top strengths. Now you've got a ranked list of where to start.
Ready to be 9x more likely to flourish? ⛵ Research has shown that it's possible when you know your key strengths. And if you're actually using them, it jumps to 18x. Now you've got a roadmap for expansion.
Your Values are Your Good
Beyond your character strengths, there's another layer to consider. Creating a defined list of your core values can help you make decisions about everything from your career to family and social situations. It’s much easier to be in alignment with your core values. After reviewing a list of almost 100 words, here's what I value:
📌 Personally: determination, independence, learning, optimism, reliability
📌 Professionally: collaboration, efficiency, empowerment, flexibility, transparency
Once you've got your list of values, you’ve got a reference for what’s important to you. Use these principles to:
Remind yourself how to feel aligned
Make decisions in accordance with your values
Determine whether you’re in harmony with your environment
Explain what matters to you and why
Understand and validate your behavior
Navigate new situations by comparing values
Quickly pinpoint what works and what doesn’t
You can weigh every decision, partnership and goal against your values list.
Strengths + Values = What Matters + What's Good
Ready to dig into your strengths and values? Download the second installment of our discovery workbook series. It's packed with everything you need to get clear, including multiple lists of possible values across four dimensions: your behaviors, interpersonal relationships, community and workplace environments.
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