Identifying Core Strengths

My best salesperson was struggling because she was selling so much and could not keep up with the paperwork. She sucks at the latter, but paperwork made sure there was follow-through for customers and payments are collected. Conventional wisdom suggests weaknesses offer growth opportunities. But instead of coaching her to eliminate the weakness, I hired an administrator to do the admin stuff. Why? Don’t ask a monkey to swim when they are at their best, swinging in the trees. For her, admin work is demotivating. She dislikes it, and it distracts her from perfecting what she likes best- sell! When we leverage our strengths, it feels natural. Marcus Buckingham advises employees to identify and cultivate their natural skills and advantages. “If you want to win, if you want to excel, if you want to stand out, you’re going to have to take the few unique things about you that are beautiful and powerful, and take them seriously, and turn them into contributions.” Here are some ways to operationalise Buckingham's advice. 1. Use self-reflection and feedback to identify your strengths. Then name them, and find ways to leverage these optimally for others and for yourself. 2. Learn from people who are great at leveraging their strengths. 3. Find ways of applying and adapting your strengths to new situations and in different circumstances. 4. Manage your weaknesses by eliminating them, and if not possible, minimising their impact so they are not derailers. # 4 resonates with me. A LinkedIn friend, Andy, messaged me about an error on my LinkedIn profile. It was a highly visible mistake, but I missed it! I told Andy my carelessness was what got me into trouble early in my career. In my first job, many were vying to join the Planning Division. I got it. But I did not realise my weakness would show up big time as the work involved writing policy papers that are discussed at the Board level. Every letter, word and punctuation mark must be in order. Not getting every fact on point is a career breaker. I can’t ignore my weakness. I must manage it. I tried many ways to overcome it, but nothing worked. My manager coached, but I was beyond help. I am surprised I did not have a breakdown! Finally, I realise I could not change myself. So I changed jobs. Instantly, because of different job requirements, my weakness was not a derailer, just an irritant. I leverage my strengths, gain confidence, and eventually, recognition. Back to the salesperson who dislikes admin work. She still dislikes it. She also got promoted and is leading a team, helping them sell, sell, sell. And she is still getting bonuses for doing something she loves - selling. And how is the admin staff doing? Very well! Every salesperson appreciates that he helps them shine. And he gets a share of the team's bonus. When people leverage their strengths, they look forward to work instead of worrying about mistakes they will make. Agree?

Senior professionals don't lack experience. They lack direction. What separates candidates who get offers from those who get "we'll be in touch"? They know their Ikigai. Ikigai is the intersection of: → What you love → What you're good at → What the world needs → What you can be paid for When you nail it, you become the person they can't afford to lose. Here's why it matters: Hiring managers can teach skills. But they can't teach purpose. When you're clear on your Ikigai, your answers have conviction, your energy shifts, and your vision aligns with theirs. When you're chasing titles instead of purpose? You sound like everyone else. Here's how to find your Ikigai: 1. Identify what fuels you vs. what drains you. Make two lists: Energy drainers and energy creators. Your Ikigai lives in what energizes you. 2. Map your natural strengths. Ask yourself: "What do people always ask me for help with?" "What comes naturally to me that others find difficult?" Write down 3-5 core strengths. 3. Identify problems that make you angry. Not frustrated. Angry. What industry dysfunction keeps you up at night? What broken process makes you think, "There has to be a better way"? That's your mission. 4. Find where these intersect with market demand. Research: → What companies are solving these problems? → What roles exist at this intersection? → Who's hiring for this work? If there's demand, you've found your lane. 5. Reframe your interview answers through Ikigai. Weak answer: "I'm excited about the company's growth." Strong answer: "I've spent my career solving one core problem: helping high-growth companies scale without losing culture. That's where I do my best work—and it's exactly the challenge you're facing." That's not a pitch. That's alignment. 6. Test your Ikigai before accepting. Ask yourself: → Will this energize me? → Does it leverage my strengths? → Am I solving problems I care about? If any answer is "no," you're not landing your dream job. You're accepting a paycheck. Ikigai isn't just philosophy. It's a strategic advantage. Because when you know what you're built to do, you interview with clarity, not desperation. Are you clear on your Ikigai, or are you still guessing? Follow me for strategies that turn career clarity into career momentum.

Seven years of coaching leaders, from first-time managers to CEOs, and the same gap shows up every single time. Not in strategy or in communication.  In self-knowledge. Most of us can name three strengths.  Maybe five if we really push ourselves. And there's a reason for that.  We confuse strengths with skills.  Things we've learned, worked hard at, been trained to do. But the strengths I'm talking about are different.  They're the ones that come naturally.  The ones rooted in who you actually are, not what you've been taught. At the start of every coaching engagement, this is where I begin. Not as a warm-up exercise, but because without it, everything else is built on shaky ground. And once someone does start to see the full picture of their strengths, the next question is almost always the same. "OK, but how do I actually use them?" That's what this is for. It's not a lightbulb moment. Self-awareness never works like that. But having a clear list in front of you is a genuinely useful place to start. When you can see your strengths, you start noticing when you're using them. And that noticing is where things begin to shift. Not sure where to start?  Look at what comes easily to you. Ask the people who know you well - not just colleagues, but people in your life outside work too. Their answers are often more revealing than anything you'd come up with alone. We're usually the last ones to see what's most obvious about us. That's precisely why this work matters.  And why it's worth doing wherever you are in your career. -------------------  📌 Save it! ♻️ Repost to support better leadership 🔔 Follow Monica Federico for more leadership insights for founders & business owners

We assess portfolios. We evaluate risks. We challenge project viability. But when did you last turn that same rigour on your own career? That’s the gap. SWOT analysis. We use it on everything: portfolios, projects, strategic initiatives. But PMO professionals analyse everything except themselves. SWOT isn’t just a business framework. It’s a mirror. And if you’re brave enough to look honestly, it shows exactly where you are (and what’s next). 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐒 How to spot it: What do colleagues ask YOU for help with? What feels easy to you but hard for others? Why it matters: If you don’t lean into these, your biggest assets stay invisible. How to tackle: → Showcase them in reviews → Seek opportunities needing these strengths → Document wins for promotions 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 How to spot it: What do you avoid? What feedback keeps appearing? Where do you feel stuck? Why it matters: Unaddressed, they quietly cap your growth and credibility. How to tackle: → Name them (self-awareness matters) → Lean into strengths instead of fixing → Build partnerships that fill gaps 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 How to spot it: What’s changing in your org? What doors are opening? Who’s offering support? Why it matters: Spotting early accelerates growth faster than waiting for luck. How to tackle: → Say yes before you feel “ready” → Protect time: don’t let daily tasks bury them → Tell your manager what you want to explore 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐒 How to spot it: What’s shifting in your industry? What could make your skills obsolete? What org changes loom? Why it matters: Unanticipated, you’ll always be reacting instead of adapting. How to tackle: → Keep one eye on the bigger picture → Expand your network beyond one domain → Diversify skills so you’re not one-dimensional Think about it: If you’re planning a family holiday, you probably do an informal SWOT without realizing it. Strengths: We love the mountains. The kids are old enough to hike. Weaknesses: My wife hates camping. I can’t navigate without GPS. Opportunities: That chalet in the Alps just dropped its price. Threats: If we book late, we’ll end up somewhere we don’t want to be. You assess. You adjust. You decide. But your career? The thing you’ll spend 80,000 hours on? Most people never run the same analysis. When I finally did this honestly, I realized I was spending 90% of my time proving I could coordinate, and 0% proving I could think strategically. That SWOT forced the shift. SWOT isn’t just for portfolios. It’s for you. We assess everything except ourselves. 📌They stop waiting for opportunities and start creating them. 👇 When you look at your SWOT honestly, what’s the one thing you need to act on first? ___ 🤝 Hi, I'm Pierpaolo. I help ambitious PMO talent to transform their careers through the opportunities of AI applied to PMO and project management leadership. Join the Community, and see how i can help you: https://lnkd.in/dWgE53x2

If you're struggling to identify your strengths, here are 5 questions to fix that: (1) What doesn't feel like work to you? (What feels effortless to you but difficult to others often reveals your deepest strengths.) (2) What energizes you? Look at your calendar from the past 2 weeks. For each meeting, task, and project, did it energize you or drain you? (3) What could you imagine working on for 5+ years, even without seeing much success? Where would you persist through setbacks? (4) Ask 3 people: "When do I seem most energized and in my element? What do you see me doing when I'm at my best?" (5)  What unusual combinations of skills do I have? (It's easier to become world-class at the intersection of 2-3 unusual skills than to become the best at any single skill.) Answering these 5 questions is important because research on career planning reveals we're often blind to our own strengths. What we're good at feels easy and natural, while our weaknesses create headaches that demand attention. So negativity bias keeps us focused on where we fall short. We also compare ourselves incorrectly, measuring against experts with 10,000+ hours instead of comparing our rate of improvement to others with similar experience. And we limit ourselves prematurely, ruling out entire paths based on current abilities rather than asking: "Which strengths are worth building?" What are your answers to these 5 questions? -- If you found this useful: ♻️ Repost to help your network too 🛎️ Follow me for more science-backed strategies

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘚𝘢𝘱 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 Yes, you've read it right. Let me explain. In an ideal world, we'll be great at everything. • Selling • Networking • Public speaking • Personal branding But we're not living in an ideal world. These skills take effort to develop. But the biggest problem? You read self-help books that written by so-called experts. You attend a training by a so-called "guru". But they take you even further from your goals! Why? Because most of the advice given are based on what has worked for the so-called experts, they are playing to their own strengths. For example, let's talk about "Networking", you'll often hear tips like: • Being likeable • Network widely • Wear a bright smile • Find commonalities Reading these, some of you would probably think "𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵!" Or you've probably tried them, found it hard and think "𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨." So you don't develop the strength thinking it is only for a special group of people with certain skills. I've good news! This is where the StrengthsFinder program come into its own. When I learned about the Clifton Strengths recently, one of my biggest takeaway was that 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. For example, many of the above tips are based on the Strengths of: • Woo • Positivity • Includer Which are not my core strengths. So I should just give up the notion of networking right? No! When I learned about my strengths, suddenly it "clicked" how I use my strengths for networking. Here's how I do it. My #1 strength is "Input" which means I enjoy learning new things and collecting information. I travel widely and read broadly. I've build up broad general knowledge about places I've been to, or have learned about. So when I meet someone, and they tell me where they're from, I'll often be able to: • Quote a nugget of information (e.g. a famous historical person) • Place a geographic relationship (e.g. a state, a province, nearby places) • Say a couple of phrases in that language The reaction I often get is I see their faces light up with surprise, or recognition. And the ice is immediately broken. My other strengths are: • Empathy (#4) • Relator (#8) • Individualization (#11) Which means: • I prefer 1-to-1 meetups instead of large settings. • I see everyone as beautiful individuals on their own. • I can often understand how they feel even before they speak. And these strengths have helped me become good at networking. As I've always shared. There's no one-size-fits-all way to get good at anything. The key is to have self-awareness of how you best operate, so that things come with flow, not forced. Want to explore how you can use your strengths to your advantage? Let's chat! #WholeHearted #StrengthsFinder

Interviewer: What do you consider as your greatest strength? Or your greatest weakness? Candidate: I am hardworking, respectful and punctual. Me: 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Generic… and maybe even rubbish 🤭 My brother/my sister, you just lack self-awareness. So don’t stop reading because I’m about to guide you on how to answer this question with confidence and depth. The real question here is simple: Do you truly know yourself? I am not referring to the version you post on social media ooo and definetely not the image you polish for public consumption. Nope! I’m talking about the real you: the one that shows up under pressure, in conflict, in teamwork, in chaos, in opportunity, and in uncertainty. Do you know that person? Most people don’t. And few years ago, I was just them but not anymore. In my view, self-awareness is one of the biggest tools you will ever carry as a professional. Personally, I know I am emotionally strong, resilient, adaptable, a clear communicator, someone who thinks deeply through issues, and someone who works well with people from diverse backgrounds. When I combine that with my education, exposure and networks, it gives me a grounded sense of who I am and how I operate. But many people cannot identify even their basic strengths and weaknesses. So when an interviewer asks, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” They just panic and resort to clichés like hardworking, respectful and blablablabla. But the truth is this: the question is not for the interview room. It is for your life. Because when you know your strengths, you know what to amplify. When you know your weaknesses, you know what to improve, manage or avoid. The challenge is that self-awareness doesn’t come from guessing. It comes from data from feedbacks. One of the best ways to gather that data is through a personal SWOT analysis. Your strengths may be your technical skills, achievements, qualifications, or your ability to stay emotionally balanced under pressure. Your weaknesses may be skill gaps, procrastination, fear, lack of confidence, or poor time management habits. Your opportunities may be industry trends, emerging skills, mentorship, networks or new roles. Your threats may be competition, job market instability, technological changes, or even personal habits that limit your growth. Now do this: First, get honest feedback from people you work with. Review your track record and performance. Observe your own behaviour, fears, patterns and habits. Take personality or strengths assessments. Reflect deeply and truthfully about yourself When you do this, patterns are likely to emerge. And those patterns will tell you who you're paa. When it does, stop the self denial that "this is not me" "This is who i am, i can't change "🙄 See when you truly know yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, you show up differently. You move intentionally. You grow with direction. And you become almost unstoppable.

95% of leaders think they're self-aware. Only 15% actually are. That's not just a gap. It's a canyon. And it's costing you more than you realize. Self-aware leaders: ✅ Resolve conflict with ease ✅ Make confident decisions ✅ Build loyal, high-performing teams The rest? ⚠️ They're stuck wondering why their “great ideas” fall flat. You can’t fix what you can’t see. 🪞 Want a brutally honest mirror? Here are 12 powerful tools to help you understand exactly how you lead, and how others experience you: 1️⃣ Positivity Ratio Self-Test by Barbara L. Fredrickson: https://lnkd.in/ewAXhqXy How much positive vs. negative energy do you bring to every interaction? This helps you understand the emotional wake you leave behind. 2️⃣ Daniel Pink's core drivers assessment: https://lnkd.in/er4cQbxJ What actually motivates you? When you know your core drivers, you stop fighting against your natural energy and start leading from your strengths. 3️⃣ Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies Quiz: https://lnkd.in/eYfWsSA7 Are you an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel? This is a roadmap for how you respond to expectations and can motivate others based on their tendencies, not yours. 4️⃣ Gallup's CliftonStrengths: https://lnkd.in/eufxQVvP Uncover your top talents from 34 themes. The gold standard for strengths-based leadership. 5️⃣ HIGH5 Test: https://high5test.com/ A fresh take on strengths assessment. Great for team alignment. 6️⃣ 16 Personality Types: https://lnkd.in/e5-y9sUA Modern take on Myers-Briggs. Understand your decision-making style. 7️⃣ Enneagram: https://enneagramtest.com/ Deep dive into your core motivations and growth paths. Fun to do as a team. 8️⃣ Larry Little's Eagle Center for Leadership Make a Difference Test: https://lnkd.in/e3qJ59K7 Practical insights into your leadership style based on your natural tendencies. 9️⃣ Sparketype Assessment: https://lnkd.in/ewtu4feb Uncover the essential nature of work that fills you with meaning. (Shout out to 🇨🇦 Karen Wright, Master Coach for sharing this one many years ago) 🔟 Adobe Creative Type: https://lnkd.in/e9t4_Dqg Perfect for understanding your creative approach, whether you're a creative or not. 1️⃣1️⃣ Ashley Rudolph's Career Influence Index: https://lnkd.in/eWmtYNXw Map your professional influence style. 1️⃣2️⃣ Suzy Welch's Values DNA Profile: https://lnkd.in/eP7iFF54 Align your actions with your core values. --- The most dangerous words in leadership = “I already know myself.” No, you don't. None of us do. That's why the best leaders are obsessed with feedback loops, not just feedback. 📊 Pick one assessment. Take it this week. Stat source: Tasha Eurich https://lnkd.in/eayxsUc9

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲—𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 A lot of people hesitate to talk about their strengths because they don’t want to come across as full of themselves. But identifying what you’re good at isn’t about vanity—it’s about clarity. It’s about understanding what makes you great so you can lean into it and make an even bigger impact. When you’re clear on your strengths, you don’t waste time forcing yourself into roles or tasks that drain you. Instead, you focus on what you do best, which leads to better performance, greater job satisfaction, and let’s be real—more fun. It’s not just about being good at something—it’s about owning it. And when you do that, you naturally boost your confidence, motivation, and ability to inspire others. And here’s the best part: 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞. You don’t have to be good at everything—you just need to know where you shine and surround yourself with people who bring different strengths to the table. I learned this when I stepped into a marketing leadership role at Kurzweil Education. My marketing experience? Limited. But I knew what I was good at: understanding the industry, seeing things from the customer’s perspective, and coming up with creative ideas. My weak spot? Digital marketing. Instead of struggling through it, I hired someone who was great at it. That decision wasn’t about covering up a weakness—it was about building a stronger, more balanced team. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞.  You perform better, feel more confident, and create space for others to do the same. 𝐓𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫: ✅ What tasks or projects feel easy and natural to you? ✅ When are you in your element—so focused and engaged that time flies? ✅ What challenges do people often turn to you for help with? ✅ What are the skills and traits that have helped you advance in your career? ✅ How can you structure your work so you spend more time using your strengths? Your strengths aren’t just skills—they’re the foundation for your success. Own them, refine them, and let them guide you forward.