If you look to the various available dictionaries you might easily find over a dozen nuances or definitions of the word strength. I want to zero in on a couple that suit our purposes, offer some thoughts from other top strengths practitioners, and then offer up my own definition.
Webster’s Dictionary has defined strength as “That quality which tends to secure results.” Also, “An asset of special worth” and “physical energy or intensity”. Webster lists related words as ability, aptitude, effectiveness, energy, gift, greatness, potential, potency, power, productiveness, and talent.
The Microsoft Encarta College dictionary says, “An extremely valuable or useful ability, asset, or quality.”
We would agree with all of that. Now lets move into the definitions from some of the top strengths practitioners.
Marcus Buckingham has evolved to describing strength as “an activity that makes you feel strong”. His emphasis is on naturally occurring feelings, emotions, energy, excitement, enthusiasm, passion, appetite, and affinity. He encourages us to pay particular attention to our feelings before, during, and after an activity. Buckingham has not eliminated results, success, and performance in any way but he is now placing a larger emphasis on the emotional response aspect of an activity as a key indicator. With the release of his next generation assessment, Stand Out he is beginning to talk more about natural roles that each of us work from.
Marcus came from the Gallup Organization where he developed under his mentor Don O. Clifton. Together they wrote books and created the original version of the Strengthsfinder Assessment. The Gallup definition of strength is a “consistent pattern of near perfect performance”.
Gallup also uses the following formula’s to define a strength:
Strength = (Talent + Skill + Knowledge) x Investment
In Gallup’s book written by Tom Rath titled Strengthsfinder he simplifies this Strengths Path further:
Strength = Talent x Investment
United Kingdom Strengths Practitioner Alex Linley says “Our strengths are things we are good at that energize us”.
Stephen Covey most famously wrote “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. Covey is not purely a strengths practitioner but his most recent writing reflects a broad understanding. In his book the 8th Habit he talks about Greatness and what he calls “Voice”. He writes:
“Voice lies at the nexus of talent (your natural gifts and strengths), passion (those things that naturally energize, excite, motivate, inspire you), need (including what the world needs enough to pay you for), and conscience (that still small voice within that assures you of what is right and that prompts you to actually do it)…There is a deep innate, almost inexpressible yearning within each one of us to find our voice in life.”
Now let me share my definition. A strength is a passion infused natural talent that has been developed by adding complimentary skills and knowledge.
Below is a diagram that I often use in my workshops.
Over the next few days we will break down each piece.
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