Did you know that Lance Armstrong began his sports career as a tri-athlete? Prior to becoming the world's premiere cyclist, Lance spread his energy among running, swimming and cycling. He was a good swimmer and fast on his feet as a runner, but he truly excelled at cycling. Recognizing that biking was his strength, Lance concentrated his efforts on cycling competitions, and the payoff is historic, both for the world of sports and for Lance!

Unlike Lance, many people focus their efforts on improving and overcoming their weaknesses. This is not only ineffective for driving sustainable personal growth; it's also boring and uninspiring!

Most of us were raised in the grip of society's myth of well-roundedness. Early in life we learn that being well-rounded—being a little bit good at everything—is the desirable end-state of our schooling. We're taught to overcome all of our weaknesses by simply "trying harder." We're encouraged to practice ballet or the clarinet even if we hate it.

How utterly exhausting and frustrating! I'm convinced that the truth of the matter is, there's a better way to work with our clients. Our work isn't about weakness at all. It's about our clients' strengths.

Our strengths create the platform from which we can excel. Our strengths fuel our passions, and bring joy, success, fulfillment and sustainability to our work. 

Most of us—certainly most of my clients—have never focused on our strengths. We discount them, if we notice them at all. For many, our strengths are the sea in which we swim—and so, we don't even see them.

We may be dimly aware that we sometimes overuse a strength—say, a strength of compassion or a strength of directness—but how often do we really stop and assess our strengths? How often do we acknowledge and claim them? How often do we celebrate them? For that matter, how often do we even think about this sea of power in which we're swimming?

Shifting ourselves and our clients to focus on their strengths is profound, tantalizing and fun work!

When we help others clearly see their strengths, we create an impact in our clients' lives that is next to none. When clients discover what they're good at, when they understand their natural gifts, when they come to accept and acknowledge and commit to growing and utilizing their strengths, we witness a profound self-acceptance in our clients and release from the constraints of "never being good enough."

The Clifton StrengthsFinder™ is one instrument I use for helping clients assess their strengths. StrengthsFinder is rich and deep and helps create a language around strengths not replicated in the few other instruments that exist.

I've used the StrengthsFinder for seven years and still marvel at the deep acknowledgement clients give themselves when they understand their strengths as innate, unique, and intriguing gifts. Even clients who believe they know their strengths are surprised to discover they actually know the behaviors they excel at—not the underlying strength.

For example, a senior leader in one very rational, hard-driving corporation was shocked to discover that "Harmony" is one of his strengths. He's learned to manage and embrace conflict, and he doesn't shy away from tough issues.

However, as we explored the strength of Harmony, we realized that it isn't conflict management he is good at—it's achieving the outcome of harmony among people and aligning them with an approach, a strategy, or an idea. In fact, his ability to create harmony among disparate parties has fueled his success and draws talented people to clamor to work for him. Because he now sees his strength in a much broader light, he also sees many more possibilities open to him for applying his strength!

Working with the StrengthsFinder, our clients open up to bold new perspectives and many new options.

Personally, my own top strengths of Maximizer and Strategic tell me that I excel at taking something good and turning it into something excellent, that I can pick the right path to do this successfully, and that I quickly spot the patterns so that I pick the right thing to transform. As you might guess, these strengths serve me in all aspects of my life and can be applied to almost any career, hobby, relationship, interest, or passion.

I love the positive relationships and expanding potential of working with my clients' strengths! Strengths are a powerful resource to invigorate growth and development, from the basis of a solid understanding of the client's natural creativity, resourcefulness and wholeness.

Inviting clients to complete the StrengthsFinder is also very easy. Buy the small book StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath at Amazon for $11.97. Inside the cover of the book, is a code that can be used one time to take the StrengthsFinder instrument. This is an inexpensive way to purchase the book and the assessment.

You don't need any particular training or certification to assist your clients in understanding their strengths—just the natural curiosity and desire to learn that I know you have as a coach! And, of course, the willingness to see strength in everyone.

"A person can perform only from strength. One cannot build performance on weaknesses, let alone on something one cannot do at all."

—Peter F. Drucker, "Managing Oneself,"
Harvard Business Review, March-April 1999

Andrea Sigetich, MCC has been coaching organizational leaders since 1997 through her business SageCoach, www.SageCoach.com. She loves working with and holding a high bar for leaders who impact the lives of others. Leadership consulting and coaching support Andrea's life in the high desert of Bend, Oregon. Andrea and her husband Beryl Rullman, also a coach who specializes in working with cancer survivors (and editing Andrea' writing!), love to ski and hike and kayak when they aren't coaching. You can reach her at Andrea@SageCoach.com or by calling 541-318-5748.

Watch for Andrea's book, Play to Your Strengths, to be published by Career Press in January 2008.