How to Leverage Your Strengths to Get to The Top

Have you ever heard the phrase: 'Don't give me problems, give me solutions'?

I'm sure you have!

And why is this expression so common in the workplace?

Mainly because, focusing on a problem will lead you nowhere - you can pinpoint all the things that are currently creating an issue and you can deep dive into each consequence, but unless you focus your time and energy on the root cause of the problem and, more importantly, how to fix it, you won't get anywhere.

The same goes for your career development.

If you focus on the elements that you are not so good at, you are missing out on great opportunities that might be readily available to you.

Let me give you a real, client example - for privacy reasons, let's call her Lory:

Lory is a Sales VP in an IT company who wants to move into Consultancy and, when completing her SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis she made it very clear that she wanted to explore tools and techniques to overcome her weaknesses.

In her words, 'I've done a lot of work already to understand how to leverage my strengths'.

Ok, then...

But, 'just to make sure you are not overlooking anything, let's just spend a few minutes going through your strengths and how you are taking advantage of them to advance in your career', I've managed to convince her.

And I'm so glad I did!

Within the first few minutes, it was clear that although she knew perfectly what her strengths were, she was not comfortable leveraging them to the full capacity to move toward her career goals.

You see, she is a people person, someone who creates relationships with ease and has done so in her company.

Not only that, she builds strong and long-lasting relationships with clients by having an incredible ability to quickly understand their needs and come up with a solution for them.

She also has this great pragmatic mind that can follow a discussion and always offer a new and different perspective, that adds value.

But despite all of the above, she was struggling to speak up at meetings and to take advantage of the network she built to explore new opportunities within the company.

This meant in reality that, if she was truly leveraging her strengths, she was putting herself out there, adding value to meetings and email chains, being seen by senior management as the valuable member she is and, at the same time, having conversations about these new opportunities she wanted to pursue.

All her strengths make her an excellent Consultant and, given her company also has a Consultancy practice, all she has to do is demonstrate what she is already great at, alongside leveraging her internal network.

Instead, she was just focusing on her weaknesses: she had no direct experience in managing people (which was potentially required), and the fact that she didn't want to step on her manager's toes.

In other words, she was focusing on the 'problem' and never on the 'solution'.

Isn't that crazy?!

So, make no mistake, recognizing and capitalizing on your unique abilities can significantly accelerate your journey to the top.

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Three ways to effectively leverage your strengths and move your career forward:

1. Complete a FULL assessment.

Before you can learn how to leverage your strengths, you need to be like Lory, to know them inside out.

You can use several techniques to do this: to simply self-reflect, to ask for feedback and even to make a list of all your achievements and then note down what allowed you to conquer them.

2. Align them with your goals.

Once you've identified your strengths, align them with your career goals and aspirations.

Consider how your unique abilities can contribute to your desired career path or the objectives of your organization.

Look for opportunities within your current role to leverage your strengths in meaningful ways, whether it's taking on projects that align with your expertise or seeking out roles that play to your strengths.

3. Demonstrate Your Value.

Effectively showcase your strengths and achievements to key stakeholders, including managers, peers, and potential employers.

Articulate how your unique abilities contribute to the success of projects, teams, or the organization as a whole.

Be proactive in demonstrating your strengths through presentations, reports, or other tangible deliverables that demonstrate your impact and value.

Do you know the feeling of buying a new car?

How fast can it go? What is the stopping distance of the car? How easy is it to drive? How big is it to park?

You want to know the limits of the car: the dimensions, the speed, etc. before you know how best you can drive it and make the most out of it.

Knowing your strengths and how to make the most out of them, is also what will get you, in the fastest and most fun way, to where you want to be.

With dedication, strategic planning, and a focus on continuous improvement, you can unlock your full potential and achieve your professional aspirations.

Looking for support in identifying and/ or leveraging your skills to achieve your career goals? Just DM or email me the word 'SKILLS' and let's chat!

Email: [email protected]

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