Do You Know Your Personal Strengths?
Many leaders have a low awareness of their personal strengths. Not surprisingly, leaders seem to be much more aware of their weaknesses.
By Steve Greene
Much has been written on the topic of strength finding. Peter Drucker wrote that “the most important things an individual can know are their personal strengths.”
The use of a leader’s strengths can catalyze change in an organization. Any sort of focus on weaknesses has little impact on the person or the organization. If we conduct a content analysis on performance reviews, we will find much more emphasis on employee weaknesses than strength building.
I believe that God gave us the gifts and anointing to perform with excellence in the place we are planted. He leads us with gifts and His peace. The problem is that many of us fail to recognize our strengths and therefore, we do not operate within them.
In my observation, many leaders operate in what they WANT their strengths to be. So, I conclude, when we work outside of our strengths, we have little peace. We effort and struggle. We gnash teeth.
Peter Drucker believed that the Jesuits, a Catholic Order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the Calvinists, a Protestant Reform movement founded by John Calvin, both in the mid-16th century, developed a very valuable technique called “Feedback Analysis” to help their priests and ministers find their strengths and grow into what they were called to be.
“Whenever a Jesuit priest or a Calvinist pastor does anything of significance (for instance, making a key decision), he is expected to write down what results he anticipates. Nine months later, he then feeds back from the actual results to these anticipations. … I have followed this method myself, now for 50 years. It brings out what one’s strengths are—and this is the most important thing an individual can know about himself or herself. It brings out where improvement is needed and what kind of improvement is needed. Finally, it brings out what an individual cannot do and therefore should not even try to do. To know one’s strengths, to know how to improve them, and to know what one cannot do—they are the keys to continuous learning.” – Peter F. Drucker (from Harvard Business Review’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself)
Feedback analysis provides valuable insight. In this last year, I made journal notes of key decisions as I made them. I’m just now understanding the impact of those decisions and adjusting my thinking accordingly. I clearly see areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Feedback analysis provides evidence of strengths. There is little emotional bias in historical review. Facts seem to preach good sermons. Our personalities may push us forward into a project but it’s our strengths that will propel success.
Leaders will do best when they find their lane and work in it.
The Holy Spirit will lead us. We just need to learn to listen to His voice.
I take comfort in knowing He knows me best.
Dr. Steve Greene is editor of Charisma magazine.
(Source: ministrytodaymag.com)
