Focus on Your Strengths for Success

Being who you are may be the highest form of integrity. Diane Obrist-Lynam, Senior Consultant for The Gallup University shared this Gallup principle with me recently. Diane has worked with The Gallup Organization for 30 years on developing programs to enable people to identify their innate talents and use them to succeed in their work.

Being who you truly are is a reflection of how you use your natural talents. When you allow your natural talents, attributes and qualities to influence your career choices, you can be much more successful and also satisfied with your career. It is a form of high integrity and authenticity to work with your natural talents. One reason for this is you don’t have to pretend you know how to do something or struggle with your goals.

What do the most successful people have in common? One trait is that they know what they are best at and use those strengths to maximize their success.

When you use your innate talents both personally and professionally, your life will flow much easily. You will have more space to be the success you want to be.

You diminish your success if you work in areas where you are not naturally talented. Think of people who are difficult to work with. Chances are they are in roles that don’t match their talents and interests.

For example, analyzing data, performing repetitive tasks and staying within a defined structure are not talents of mine. My brain is not wired that way. I would be miserable in a job with those requirements.

My talents are in the strategic, ideation and future-thinking category. Work where I use my creativity and ability to express my ideas and solutions is very important to me. I’m a coach, consultant, writer and speaker. These roles are just right for me and take advantage of my favorite talents.

If you are in a position where you are struggling or not happy, take a hard look at whether you are in a career or job that uses your best strengths. Or you may be in a company or organization that doesn’t recognize or value your particular talents.

As a woman, you are already a leader. You lead at home, at work, at school and in the community. Bringing your unique talents to your daily life and being your authentic self will not only make your life more fulfilling, successful and even fun; it will also make you a more effective leader.

Kathy Garland, www.kathygarland.com, is the Make it Happen Business Coach and consultant who guides women to create streams of income by discovering and refining their talents and ideas while bringing accountability and focus to their business.