Examples of Strengths: Personal and Professional

The personal development section in your local bookstore is enormous for a reason. The strengths of a person serve as their barometer for self-satisfaction. A particularly poignant time to sit back and assess your strengths and weaknesses is when you're submitting a college or job application, or preparing for an interview. Let's take a look at a long list of personal strengths, many of which are touted in those self-care guidebooks.

Nothing beats a team player. In the workplace, an ability to work well with others is an indicator of success. Off the top of your head, what are some of your strengths? Organization? Budgeting?

A good resume is built upon core strengths and skills. When formulating your resume, you might want to use some of the keywords below as a springboard for your core values and skills section. For example, "analytical" can be turned into "Analytical Programmer." Let's take a look:

For more, here are the Best Skills to list on a Resume.

As you move up the proverbial food chain, there are certain indicators that mark a strong leader. Surely, communication skills are important, but there are other indicators, relating to your ability to guide and motivate a team. Let's take a look at some of the core skills required by a member of the managerial team.

Being able to verbalize clear instructions and feedback to your team members is of utmost importance. Here are some general strengths relating to communication skills:

• Verbalizes ideas clearly and concisely
• Allows effective communication
• Listens to ideas actively
• Provides constructive criticism
• Takes time to make a personal connection

Once you have an idea in mind, it needs to be translated to your team in a coherent manner. Here are some key strengths relating to direction and advice:

• Creates specific objectives and outcomes
• Communicates objectives and outcomes clearly
• Explains tasks fully and delegates them efficiently
• Develops checks and controls
• Oversees staff to keep them on task

Staff members want to feel like they matter and their ideas are being heard. Here are some examples of key strengths pertaining to staff support:

• Understands talents of workers in order to delegate effectively
• Provides staff training and development
• Empowers workers by delegating some responsibilities
• Evaluates staff performance on a regular basis
• Recognizes efforts of workers
• Supports staff to increase efficiency

A leader is able to make quick decisions and stick by them. Here are some examples of strengths as they relate to sound judgment:

• Gathers important information
• Makes decisions regarding the best action to take
• Implements the course of action
• Communicates and explains decisions
• Follows up on progress of actions
• Learns from previous mistakes

Of course, organization is key when running a large team. Here are key strengths as they relate to organization and planning:

• Defines concrete goals
• Explains goals in detail
• Creates a plan to achieve goals
• Gathers and assigns resources
• Motivates the staff to achieve the highest level of performance
• Evaluates progress and provides feedback

Similar to an ability to make quick decisions, sound problem-solving skills are integral in a team leader. Here are some examples of problem-solving strengths:

• Recognizes the problem
• Analyzes relevant information
• Understands cause and effect relationships
• Develops possible solutions
• Chooses the best solution and implements it

The key to succeeding in various situations, personal or professional, is to identify your strengths and ensure they fit the situation or task you're undertaking. Focus on what you're good at rather than what you're capable of. Then, you'll then be more engaged in the task and able to perform at a higher level. For more tips on resume-building, check out these action words to use in resumes.