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Hey Leaders,
Understanding our strengths is key to our development as leaders and shepherds. Our homes, MCs, careers and relationships will excel or struggle depending on how well we serve out of our unique giftings. The following article by Michael Hyatt develops this idea further. Please take the time to read it through and respond to his application and challenge at the end. The Kingdom of God benefits from our ability to lead well out of our strengths.
Blessings,
Joel
One of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself is this, "What are my strengths?" Knowing the answer is the key to understanding God's unique purpose for your life. Unfortunately, most of us have been trained to think first about our weaknesses. Then I read, Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton's bestseller, Now, Discover Your Strengths. At the time, both men worked for Gallup. The book was based on their research there. They had a simple but powerful thesis. The best way to get ahead in your career and be satisfied in your job is to focus on developing your strengths. The best thing you can do is discover your strengths and then find a role that allows you to use them. In their extensive research, Buckingham and Clifton identified 34 different strength themes. They also developed an online strengths assessment that identified your five top strengths. The last time I took the test was more than four years ago. However, I review the results annually to make sure that I am still operating in "my strengths zone." My goal is to stay focused on my strengths and say "no" to everything else or delegate it to someone else who is better equipped to handle it. The more I do this, the more productive and satisfied I will be. But what about you? Do you know what your strengths are? Does your current job give you an opportunity to express them? If not, could this be why you feel so little satisfaction in your career? You can start operating in your strengths zone by taking these five steps: 1. Buy the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book and take the test. Inside the book, you will find an "access key" that enables you to take the online assessment. 2. Review your customized report and reflect on your strengths. Ask, "How well do these strengths describe me?" Now ask those who know you best the same question. What do they say? 3. Evaluate your current job in light of your strengths. Objectively speaking, what strengths does your job require? Do you have these strengths? On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you in your role? 4. Develop a strategy to align your strengths and your job. This will likely require you to start focusing on those aspects of your job where you can express your strengths and delegate, negotiate, or offload the rest. In some cases, it may mean looking for a new opportunity. 5. Share your strengths with your colleagues. Tell them you want to focus on your strengths, so that you can make your greatest contribution to them and the team. If they know your strengths, they can help you find opportunities to express them. If you really want to develop a strengths-based culture, have your entire team (even your family) take the test and then discuss how you can get everyone focused on their strengths. You can even use this as a basis for recruiting people with strengths you may be missing. In the end, you and your team will be more productive and more happy. Questions: What would operating more out of your strengths make possible? If you have taken the test, what are your top five strengths?
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