Discover your top strengths for work and life!

The bestseller Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath centers around the idea that there are 34 common talents as discovered through Gallup's 40 year study of human strengths. This culminated in the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment which millions have taken for self discovery.

The study shows that those whose jobs allow them to use their strengths daily are 6x more likely to say they are emotionally engaged on the job. For hundreds who said their job does not play into their strengths, 0 said they emotionally engage with their work.

This is one of many reasons Rath encourages everyone to learn their top strengths using the strengthsfinder assessment and do everything they can to ensure their work and life align as much as possible with the top areas of strength that they discover.

The 34 strengths are: Achiever, Activator, Adaptability, Analytical, Arranger, Belief, Command, Communication, Competition, Connectedness, Consistency, Context, Deliberative, Developer, Discipline, Empathy, Focus, Futuristic, Harmony, Ideation, Includer, Individualization...

...Input, Intellection, Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, Relator, Responsibility, Restorative, Self-Assurance, Significance, Strategic and Woo. Rath acknowledges this is not an exhaustive list, but it can help find your top 5 strengths and your unique combination.

These strengths are described as talents or areas you naturally gravitate towards, excel at and enjoy. They may change over time, but typically those who recognize their strengths and lean into them with time and effort can become extremely proficient at them.

Strengthsfinder 2.0 delves into each of the 34 strengths and gives examples of what they "sound like" with unique quotations for each type, ideas for how to put this strength into action and how to work with others who have this particular strength.

Throughout the book the point is emphasized that by aiming your work and life towards who you already are, your innate qualities and areas of strength, you maximize your potential for success.

Rath calls aligning yourself with tasks that play into your strengths being in "the strengths zone". Not knowing or playing into your strengths results in dreading work, negative interactions, poor performance and less achievement.

On any team, it's important to know, for example, if you're best suited to be the Analyzer or the Idea Generator. Knowing your strengths and those of others lets you tap into the areas you are most likely to achieve success and helps you collaborate efficiently and effectively.