#359 Leveraging Strengths for Growth

Your strengths aren't just nice-to-have qualities but powerful engines for accelerated growth and development. Building on what you're naturally good at creates more energy, confidence, and results than constantly trying to fix your weaknesses.

• Poll question: Do you focus more on improving weaknesses or strengths?
• You grow faster when building on what you're great at
• Personal story of losing momentum in strengths while fixing weaknesses
• The strengths-based approach increases energy and confidence
• We often downplay our natural talents because they come easily
• Your "zone of genius" might be someone else's daily struggle
• Double down on strengths you've been treating as ordinary
• Apply your strengths in new situations (encouragement in conflict, analytics in relationships)
• Marcus Buckingham: "You grow most in your areas of strengths"
• Operating from strengths builds confidence and resilience

What's one strength you've been underusing that you're ready to lean into this week? Leave a message after the beep.

Chapters

• 0:00 Audience Poll: Strengths vs Weaknesses
• 0:35 Welcome and Theme Introduction
• 0:50 The One Big Idea
• 1:02 Personal Story and Strengths-Based Approach
• 1:36 Call to Action and Conclusion

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:00

It is time to vote. You have to pick one of these two options Just say yeah, that's me, or raise your hand to cast your vote. So here's a question when it comes to strengths and weaknesses, are you the type of person that focuses on improving option A, which is your weaknesses, or option B your strengths weaknesses or option B your strengths Again, cast a vote. When it comes to strengths and weaknesses, are you the type of person that focuses on improving A your weaknesses or B your strengths? Welcome to message 359 of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we ignite your personal and professional development. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. Thrive and Grow Thursday leveraging strengths for growth. So here's the one big idea I want to land today. You grow faster when you build on what you're great at, not when you obsess over what you're not.

Speaker 0: 1:02

I remember a time in my life when I felt pretty comfortable with some strengths, so I kind of put them on autopilot for a little bit while I focused on improving my weaknesses. You know what happened when I finally got back to my strengths? They had lost a ton of momentum. Talk about a setback. There's a reason. It's called strengths-based approach. When you operate in your strengths, energy goes up, confidence rises and results start stacking up. But too often we downplay what we're good at, especially if it comes easy. We think that can't be valuable, it's not hard, but your zone of genius might be someone else's daily struggle.

Speaker 0: 1:46

So let's rethink this growth. Start by doubling down what's one strength you've been treating as ordinary? It's time to spotlight it and use it on purpose. Stop trying to be everything. You were designed to be the whole team. You were designed to bring your unique edge to the team and find ways to use your strength in new situations. Do you got a gift for encouragement? Use it in conflict. Analytical, use it to build relationships. Creative. Apply it to strategy. Stretch the strength Marcus Buckingham said you know most. You grow most in your areas of strengths. You will improve the most, be the most creative and be the most resilient when you tap into what's already inside of you. I'm not sure about you. I need confidence, all that I can get. So, friends today, shoulders back, chin up, smile on your face, own that strength, slam that go, rock that thing. Thank you for calling Growth Instigators Hotline. I'd love to hear from you After the beep. Leave a message. What's one strength you've been underusing that. You're ready to lean into this week and, as always, keep instigating growth in all you do.