Do you know your strengths and how to put them to work in your everyday life? We often know our weaknesses and try our best to make changes in our lives to grow stronger in those areas. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, research has shown that working from our strengths and working with others whose strengths may match our areas of weakness help organizations grow. And working from a place of strength is far more empowering!
Many are familiar with the Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment and the book Now Discover Your Strengths. Fewer are familiar with the book Living Your Strengths by authors Albert L. Winesman, D.Min, Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D, and Curt Liesveld, M.Div, M.A. The subtitle of the book is – “Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community.” The authors have expanded the information derived from the Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment (with a code provided in the text allowing a one-time use to take that assessment) and applied the information to faith communities.
The 34 “signature themes” are the same as those in the book Now Discover Your Strengths, but with helps on how to specifically put your strengths to work in your church and community. For example, if one of your strengths is “Maximizer,” here are a couple of the questions the book poses to help you know better how to put that strength to work:
- “Consider how your talents and strengths relate to the mission in your life and how you can combine them to benefit your family, your church, or your community.
- Avoid serving on church committees that require continual problem solving – this will only frustrate you. You thrive not on fixing what’s broken, but instead on taking what is working well and making it even better.
- In group settings – committees, work teams, classes – help people recognize their own talents and strengths and those of others.”
How might you benefit from discovering your strengths and unleashing the God-given potential you have? – Judi Brandow, Office Team Leader & Communications Specialist
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