What Are Your Top 5 Strengths?
One thing I’ve learned in my short career is that things don’t always go as planned. You can have everything precisely mapped out–then life happens.
As much as we want to be good at everything we do, it’s not realistic. Understanding and knowing your strengths helps to put you in the best possible position to succeed.
“Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values. Knowing where one belongs can transform an ordinary person–hardworking and competent but otherwise mediocre–into an outstanding performer.” – Peter Drucker
I took Gallup’s StrengthsFinder Assessment back in April. I did this in 2009/2010 at my first job, so I was interested to see the results. My top 5 strengths back then were:
Maximizer, Harmony, Arranger, Achiever, Consistency (sidenote: Arranger and Achiever are in my top 10)
TL;DR My current top 5 strengths:
- Adaptability
- Learner
- Significance
- Focus
- Maximizer
I’ve been going through my results and they’re pretty spot on. To make it fun I looked for mentions of my strengths in my year-end review. Those mentions are highlighted in blue at the end of each strength section.
Check out my results. Enjoy.
Adaptability
How can you thrive?
You prefer to go with the flow. You tend to be a “now” person who takes things as they come and who discovers the future one day at a time.
Why you succeed using Adaptability?
You are flexible and can quickly adjust to changing or unexpected circumstances that upset or intimidate others. Your calm response to chaos reassures others and helps you respond to what people need.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights: What makes you stand out?
Because of your strengths, you enjoy reading. It allows you to gather information to expand your storehouse of knowledge. When surrounded by individuals who cannot sit still, giving your full attention to the printed word is apt to be difficult, if not impossible. You have a habit of avoiding the company of restless people when you want to give your undivided attention to a book, magazine article, newspaper account, personal correspondence, or official document.
Instinctively, you occasionally rely on your intuition to make the right decisions as events unfold. To some degree, the present — not the future and the past — captures your attention. Perhaps you monitor and adjust what you are doing or how you are doing it as circumstances change, people join and leave the group, problems arise, or new resources become available.
By nature, you realize that each day offers its own surprises. You trust you can handle whatever occurs. Even when you do not know exactly what to do, you probably know someone who does. You have an uncanny ability to easily and cooperatively proceed in the direction in which other people and processes are moving.
It’s very likely that you sometimes pause to admire details that others do not notice. You might exhibit an appreciation for whatever is happening right now. You might fully grasp each moment, see its wonder, and cherish its loveliness. To some degree, living in the present allows you to adjust to changing circumstances, environments, or people. Chances are good that you are quite comfortable letting the day’s events and people’s demands determine what really deserves your attention.
“Michael understands the changing environment of the business and deals very well with the many changes which come at him”
Learner
How can you thrive?
You have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. The process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites you.
Why you succeed using Learner?
You love to learn, and you intuitively know how you learn best. Your natural ability to pick up and absorb information quickly and to challenge yourself to continually learn more keeps you on the cutting edge
Your Personalized Strengths Insights: What makes you stand out?
Because of your strengths, you can sometimes concentrate for hours at a time, especially to deepen your understanding or generate unique ideas by examining new information. The zest this adds to your life may explain why you are determined to acquire additional knowledge or skills at each opportunity.
By nature, you dedicate yourself to acquiring knowledge and using your skills. You likely are self-taught in many ways. You probably work with instructors, trainers, coaches, or mentors. You embrace opportunities to expose your mind to new ideas. You welcome the chance to practice new ways of plying — that is, diligently practicing — your trade or craft.
It’s very likely that you might register for high level courses or honors classes. Why?
Perhaps you are attracted to subjects that are not easy to comprehend. Occasionally you trust yourself enough to test your mental endurance and agility.
Chances are good that you sometimes rely on reason to determine how an event, decision, or condition led to a specific event. Perhaps you desire to understand how things converge to produce the final result.
Instinctively, you are motivated to continually acquire knowledge and skills. Discovering new ways to use your talents energizes you. You are likely to escape from situations and avoid people who want you to keep doing what you already know how to do well. Maintaining an intellectual status quo is unacceptable to you.
You love to learn, and you intuitively know how you learn best. Your natural ability to pick up and absorb information quickly and to challenge yourself to continually learn more keeps you on the cutting edge.
“Over the past year, he has also learned the Rooms Control position and performed very well in the role.”
Significance
How can you thrive?
You want to make a big impact. You are independent and prioritize projects based on how much influence they will have on your organization or people around you.
Why you succeed using Significance?
You want to do important work and are determined to make a difference. You want others to respect you for your significant contribution and willingness to work hard to achieve success.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights: What makes you stand out?
Instinctively, you sometimes yearn to have someone listen to you. This partially explains why you are eager to introduce yourself to outsiders and newcomers. Perhaps you tell them about your background, accomplishments, grades, or progress toward certain goals. Leaving them with the impression you are a person of influence or importance might be the objective of this first encounter.
Driven by your talents, you may present yourself as highly talented, knowledgeable, or skilled. Perhaps it is important to you that certain individuals recognize or value your expertise. You may appreciate people who listen thoughtfully to what you say.
By nature, you may see particular value in the proverb “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Instead of choosing the easy and obvious path, you might challenge yourself to surpass your original goals. With courage and perseverance, you attempt to produce good results. Rather than ask for guarantees of success or financial rewards, you might choose to boldly forge ahead toward your desired goals.
Chances are good that you sometimes are drawn to the company of people who listen to what you have to say. Perhaps your sound reasoning compels them to pay attention to your ideas, explanations, plans, or answers.
It’s very likely that you sometimes work hard to reach specific personal or professional goals. These include, but are not limited to, earning a pay raise, winning a promotion, receiving a degree, acquiring something you value, or completing a certification program. Perhaps challenges related to status motivate you more than others do.
You want to do important work and are determined to make a difference. You want others to respect you for your significant contribution and willingness to work hard to achieve success.
“There has been a large influx of new hires over the past 6-9 months and Michael has contributed positively to these changes by assisting in training and supporting his leadership team during the process.”
Focus
How can you thrive?
You can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. You prioritize, then act.
Why you succeed using Focus?
You have a powerful ability to prioritize, set goals, and work efficiently. You avoid time-consuming distractions and stay on track toward an overall objective.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights: What makes you stand out?
It’s very likely that you earnestly apply yourself to seeing things as they really are. You bring a practical, matter-of-fact, and unsentimental outlook to various discussions, projects, or planning meetings.
Chances are good that you may like to set goals in the company of others as long as the conversation is reasonable. Perhaps you expect the final objectives to be clearly defined or logically linked.
Instinctively, you may spend your time and energy contemplating what the coming months, years, or decades can offer you. From your perspective, the future might be full of possibilities for success. Through careful planning, you periodically identify what you must accomplish to reach objectives. Maybe you are preoccupied with things you can do. This partially explains why you sometimes refuse to be distracted by things you cannot do.
Because of your strengths, you may channel some of your mental and physical energies toward what you might accomplish in the coming months, years, or decades. Sometimes you may ask yourself, “How far into the future can I think before some of my ideas start becoming vague or uninspiring?”
Driven by your talents, you devote your full attention to immediate tasks and challenges. This explains why you give yourself plenty of time to comprehend what you read on the printed page or the computer screen. Diligence, persistence, and concentration are three of your distinguishing traits.
You have a powerful ability to prioritize, set goals, and work efficiently. You avoid time-consuming distractions and stay on track toward an overall objective.
“Michael is efficient and completes all his work in a timely manner. He is thorough with his work and desires to understand the “how” and “why” when completing and performing tasks.”
Maximizer
How can you thrive?
You focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. You seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Why you succeed using Maximizer?
You focus on quality, and you prefer working with and for the best. By seeing what each person naturally does best and empowering them to do it, you make individuals, teams, and groups better.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights: What makes you stand out?
Because of your strengths, you can sometimes make people realize you truly comprehend what they are saying. Perhaps you understand that this ability is a special gift.
By nature, you gravitate to groups that make assignments based on an individual’s unique talents. You intentionally avoid teams whose members think anyone can do anything as long as the person devotes enough effort and time to the task. You realize you do better work and progress more quickly when you are allowed to use your natural abilities.
It’s very likely that you sometimes engage newcomers or strangers in conversation. You may seek out these individuals. Making the acquaintance of certain types of people delights you. Perhaps your outgoing and personable style causes a few of them to want to spend more time with you.
Instinctively, you may reflect on your talents, knowledge, or skills. You might conclude you are qualified to take on certain jobs, academic programs, volunteer projects, family activities, or athletic events.
Driven by your talents, you might be especially attuned to what people have to say. Perhaps you pay close attention to the stories, ideas, and/or feelings they express.
“Michael excels at working well with each and every one of his colleagues. Ultimately, working with his team is a strong point of his and something he does very, very well.
