My Top 5 Strengths according to the Gallup StrengthsFinder (you may be as surprised as I was!)
This Memorial Day weekend we stayed with some friends and the wife (Lyndsey) was a trained consultant for CliftonStrengths. I took the 30 minute assessment and here are my strengths in order and my thoughts about them:
Empathy. I admit that I kinda frowned when I found out this was my top strength. In the past especially, feeling the feelings of others led to a lot of people-pleasing and anxiety. It’s been MUCH better through therapy and mindset work (reach out if you want more details on this - I gotchu!). However, upon talking to Lyndsey I saw how this strength was uber-useful in my consulting business to truly be able to listen and relate to my clients.
Connectedness. This strength belongs to those annoying people who say, “Everything happens for a reason.” I did not even know this was a strength (Lyndsey said it’s one of those rare ones). I wondered if strengths can fluctuate based on traumatic events because I really started leaning into this one after Van’s mom unexpectedly passed from COVID 3 years ago. During our discussion of Connectedness, we talked about my desire to “give the gift of presence” to people I meet - even cashiers at the grocery store. This strength also showed up in me admiring the beauty of nature all around me.
Maximizer - making good things great. Yes, I was the stereotypical overachieving, straight A-is-for-Asian student, but didn’t realize there’s a strength for that. Of course, this gift helps me turn chaos into order and come in to closets with a plan and purpose. My blind spot could be knowing when to stop (for myself or others). I guess that’s where the empathy kicks in!
Developer - I LOVE bringing out the best in others. That’s why I enjoy the Konmari method so much. It’s not just about coming in and making things pretty in bins. I work one-on-one to do some deep subconscious transformations! And yes, I can claim that.
Belief. Living life by my values. This fuels my Konmari work. I love helping people live to their true values and let go of what’s not serving them.
Have you taken the StrengthFinder? What are yours? Do mine surprise or confirm things?
I’d love to hear from you!
