Standout 2.0

Do you know the strengths that make you uniquely impactful? Identifying and harnessing your inherent abilities can lead to genuine fulfillment and standout success.

1. Your "genius" lies in your innate abilities

Everyone has a unique set of innate talents—what the author calls one’s "genius." These abilities aren’t tied to intelligence but reflect your natural way of engaging with the world. They shape the decisions you make, your behaviors, and how you connect with others.

From a young age, this genius operates in the background. For instance, a child who naturally organizes group activities may have an instinctive ability to lead. While these abilities are often overlooked—they feel so natural to us—when identified and leveraged, they fuel genuine success.

Unfortunately, societal and professional norms obscure these talents, making them seem ordinary or irrelevant. Schools and workplaces often prioritize general skillsets instead of recognizing individual strengths. To shine, you need awareness and intentional use of what makes you unique.

Examples

• A salesperson with an innate ability to read emotions thrives in understanding clients’ needs.
• A teacher who naturally inspires curiosity fosters a love for learning in students.
• An entrepreneur guided by innovation creates groundbreaking solutions, bypassing conventional methods.

2. Recognizing your strengths takes effort

Your strengths often feel so "normal" to you that you might not see their value. To recognize them, you need to reflect on what comes effortlessly to you—what others often compliment you on or turn to you for.

Think of the person who’s always the go-to for solving conflicts or the one who makes people laugh naturally during stressful times. These abilities hold real weight and can serve you. Defining these talents allows intentional growth and application.

Many people undervalue their strengths because they’re trained to see their weaknesses instead. However, by shifting focus to what feels energizing or exciting, you uncover what makes you special.

Examples

• A natural mediator may always step in during disagreements at work without realizing it’s a strength.
• Someone skilled at presenting ideas might boost team morale when explaining challenging projects.
• A person who effortlessly finds creative solutions could shake up old business processes with innovative methods.

3. Mismanaged talents can appear as weaknesses

When strengths are not recognized or nurtured, they can sometimes seem unhelpful or even harmful. For example, a natural tendency to focus on details may appear as nit-picking if not channeled properly, while decisive instincts might come off as bossy.

When individuals fail to acknowledge the value of their strengths, they risk misusing them. This mismanagement can harm relationships or self-confidence. Recognizing not only strengths but also their applications prevents pitfalls.

By intentionally developing these abilities, what might seem problematic transforms into valuable traits that set you apart and build trust and connection in the workplace and beyond.

Examples

• A leader's assertiveness might seem overbearing until it’s skillfully used to drive initiatives.
• Someone with relentless curiosity might seem disorganized but could thrive in research-driven roles.
• Strong attention to detail could overwhelm others unless applied to projects needing precision.

4. Social norms can suppress uniqueness

External forces, like education systems or workplace cultures, might prioritize conforming over uniqueness. Standard practices often stifle the ability to showcase personal strengths because they don’t align with the "rules."

Education emphasizes broad learning objectives, and traditional workplaces reward predictable outcomes. This undervaluation of individual flair inhibits someone from fully expressing their natural talents.

To rise above, you must challenge those limits. Instead of adapting yourself to the system, find ways to bring your uniqueness into focus where it will be noticed and valued.

Examples

• A school focused on standardized tests might miss a student’s musical talent.
• A corporate office emphasizing routine might suppress a creative employee’s innovation.
• A quiet team member might shine in a mentorship role if given the opportunity.

5. The StandOut Assessment reveals your strengths

The StandOut Assessment is designed to uncover what drives you using a structured test. Its goal? To help you understand the behaviors and decisions that naturally align with your personality.

This assessment uses situational judgment to identify how you’re used to responding to challenges. By focusing on key "trigger words" in different scenarios, it pinpoints strengths you might overlook yourself.

What makes it different is that instead of emphasizing self-perception, it shifts the lens on how others view your strengths. This provides actionable insights to help you use those strengths in situations involving teamwork, leadership, or interaction.

Examples

• Someone identified as a "Teacher" role can focus on mentoring programs in the workplace.
• A "Creator" role assessment might suggest tasks requiring innovation and problem-solving.
• A "Connector" role might thrive arranging networking events or collaborations.

6. Strength Roles guide application of talents

According to the StandOut Assessment, we all fall into one of nine Strength Roles. These roles highlight the way individuals naturally approach the world, offering a structure for identifying and acting on personal strengths.

The roles—Advisor, Connector, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Pioneer, Provider, Stimulator, and Teacher—act like personality types but with clear career application. For example, Teachers thrive when guiding others, while Pioneers shine in situations where risk-taking and vision are essential.

By understanding and embracing your role, you can better direct your career and interactions. This insight allows you to understand how others rely on you and helps in finding opportunities perfectly suited to your inherent skills.

Examples

• An "Advisor" might excel in a coaching role with direct interaction and offering advice.
• A "Stimulator" could thrive in energizing teams during high-pressure projects.
• A "Pioneer" might lead a company’s exploratory initiatives, driving strategic shifts.

7. Individual strengths lead to team success

When individual talents align with team roles, the result is synergy. Leaders can use tools like StandOut to identify the unique strengths of each team member and assign tasks accordingly.

Understanding each person’s role creates a culture of respect and collaboration. Teams that leverage natural abilities experience higher engagement, faster problem-solving, and stronger output.

Teams that recognize diverse Strength Roles engage their members better and systematically use everyone’s best skills to improve group performance and innovation.

Examples

• A “Connector” on a team controls communications between departments, ensuring smooth updates.
• An “Equalizer” ensures fair solutions during brainstorming meetings.
• A "Provider" leads customer support by solving issues directly and empathetically.

8. Applying strengths transforms careers

Applying your unique abilities can accelerate career growth. It’s no longer enough to deliver standard outcomes—individuals must stand apart by consistently using their standout strengths to add value.

Proactively aligning strengths with suitable challenges creates opportunities for recognition and advancement. Instead of waiting to be noticed, intentionally showcasing your strengths turns them into leverage.

Becoming effective at what you’re naturally excellent at opens new professional doors and allows you to stand apart rather than blend into the crowd.

Examples

• A detail-oriented employee earns responsibility to oversee an organization’s quality checks.
• A creative strategist pushes for campaigns that land top-tier recognition.
• Someone with unparalleled people skills is promoted to lead client-facing teams.

9. Strengths guide personal fulfillment

Beyond career success, understanding and using your strengths brings personal happiness. Being able to engage meaningfully in work and life aligns your efforts with your natural flow.

This alignment fosters long-term satisfaction and reduces unnecessary stress caused by performing tasks that don’t suit your abilities. Success feels sustainable when it stems from genuine skills.

By knowing what makes you thrive, you're engaged in activities that recharge instead of drain you, leading to overall balance and fulfillment.

Examples

• An empathetic person thrives in nonprofit work where listening and helping are core.
• A thrill-seeker fulfills their potential by working at a startup environment.
• Someone who thrives on structure enjoys a role creating processes for efficiency.

Takeaways

1. Reflect on what naturally excites and energizes you—these are your unique talents waiting to be applied.
2. Use tools like the StandOut Assessment to identify concrete ways to amplify your strengths in real-world scenarios.
3. Align your career and personal activities to your specific roles—this fosters both professional success and personal joy.