Using Your Strengths to Succeed During Uncertain Times

In times of change and uncertainty like our world is facing, you have internal resources to help you succeed—your talents and strengths. They were made for times like this!

What I love about strengths is that they’re utterly practical. Your strengths are your best means for producing the outcomes you desire, and so the idea is this—identify your intended outcomes, then select the talents to get you there, then aim those talents toward your outcomes.

You’ll be even more effective by turning your talents into strengths and avoiding the shortfalls that can come from your raw talents.

This whole process may sound laborious, but the more you work at it, the more automatic this process gets. I do it quite naturally these days.

So, let’s look at our current world situation.

Many of us are facing:

• Uncertainty about the future
• Inconvenience to our lifestyle
• Mandatory remote working
• School and job closures
• Relationship disconnects
• Financial hardships
• Health setbacks

What do these situations have in common? They all bring change, and change can be hard, especially when it feels forced upon us.

But you have these great talents and strengths to help you succeed, whatever you’re facing. Each of the 34 strengths deals with change in a different way. Some rush in, some hold back, some bring others along.

The key to great change management is utilizing your strengths in a positive way and considering how change may affect others with their particular strengths.

For example, let’s look at four kinds of strengths:

Command®: Prefers direct communication and room to speak up; doesn’t like change being done to them if not bought in

Includer®: Watches for who is left out of the message or who doesn’t buy in; will want to know the benefits are for everyone

Restorative™: Open to change that fixes problems; communicate to them what is broken and how the change will fix it

Strategic®: Spots options and selects the best path forward; probably knew a change was coming before it was announced

As you can see, each one relates to change in a different way. So, no matter what changes come your way, you can be equipped to deal with them successfully.

How do you deal with change?

Use this worksheet to see all 34 strengths and come up with ideas of your own.

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