You may feel owning your strengths is braggy or arrogant. But think about someone who embodies of their strengths and talents. I enjoy being around those people, don’t you? I go to them with the right kinds of problems or opportunities they seem to solve effortlessly. I benefit from the great work they produce. I trust them more because they trust themselves.

Detective Work: Finding Your Hidden Superpowers

When it comes to really understanding your strengths, you may feel a bit at a loss. Sometimes the most obvious things are tricky to spot.

What do people regularly thank you for? Maybe friends always say things like “You give the best advice!” or “You always know how to make me laugh!” of “How do you cut through chaos with so much clarity?” These aren’t just nice compliments–they’re clues to your natural strengths.

Think about what comes easily to you. You know, those things you do so naturally that when others praise you for them. You may think, “Wait, that’s special? Doesn’t everyone do that?” Honey, they don’t.

You may think, “Wait, that’s special? Doesn’t everyone do that?” Honey, they don’t.

Maybe you can calm down a heated situation with a few words, or you have a knack for explaining complex ideas in simple terms. These “oh, that's nothing” moments are actually your strengths. Things that come naturally and without much effort.

Your Ripple Effect: How Your Strengths Make the World Better

Your strengths aren’t just about you—they’re your unique way of contributing to the world. That work bestie who always comes to you for advice? Your emotional intelligence is helping them navigate tough decisions. Your ability to make people laugh? You're literally making the world a brighter place. Sounds corny? Think of how much you appreciate the confidant or comedian on your team.

Think about times when you made a difference. Because we have recency bias—a tendency to favor more recent events—you may have to reach back in the ol’ memory archive to maybe…last month? The month before? Notice the mistakes caught, the disasters averted, the ideas that turned a meeting around, de-escalating Slack threads….those are your strengths in action! Name them. Own them.

Strengths in the Wild:
Real-Life Superhero Moments

Let’s get specific. If you’re the organized one, maybe you turned a chaotic project into a smooth operation with a few masterful planning strategies. If you’re the empathetic one, perhaps you noticed a coworker was struggling and reached out to check in, making a real difference in their day.

These moments might seem small to you, but they’re your personal highlight reel. Don’t dismiss them. See them for what they are—your strengths in action.

Speaking Your Strengths:
No More Humble Mumbles

Now comes the fun part (or the scary part, depending on how you look at it) - own your strengths. Out loud. Instead of downplaying them, try this:

Instead of: “Oh, it was nothing...”

Try: “Thanks! I do have a knack for organizing events.”

Instead of: “I just got lucky...”

Try: “I’m glad my problem-solving skills came in handy!”

Try saying things like “I'm really good at...” or “One of my strengths is...” “You can always come to me when…” without following it up with “but” or “just” or any other minimizing words.

The Bottom Line

Your strengths are the easiest way to make impact in your community. Knowing what they are and speaking about them confidently helps connect you to challenges you’ll be amazing in solving.

It’s not about being better than others. It’s about understanding what you bring to the table and having the self-confidence to share that with others.

So next time someone asks you what you're good at, resist the urge to shuffle and shrug it off. Stand tall (or sit comfortably, whatever works) and own those strengths! After all, the world needs more people who know their superpowers and aren’t afraid to use them.

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