Without a clear understanding of your core mission and strengths, it can be hard to identify and engage the right customers.

But what exactly is a “strength?”

According to Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall, co-authors of Nine Lies About Work, a strength is NOT defined by how good you are at something.

It’s defined by how it makes you feel. Your strengths are activities that bring you joy, put you in a state of flow, and are deeply fulfilling.

Aligning your business’s mission around your core strengths—rather than focusing all your energy on fixing your weaknesses—can have a huge impact on your success.

You’ll be naturally driven to be the best at what you do. And that inherent passion will come through in your marketing messaging, helping differentiate you from competitors who lack that deeper sense of purpose.

Here are a few examples of strengths that may relate to your mission as a trainer, consultant, or coach:

• Helping others solve complex business problems under tight deadlines.
• Engaging in thought-provoking (and even challenging) one-on-one or small group conversations.
• Creating a nurturing space that helps others face discomfort and work through difficult thoughts, feelings, and decisions.
• Designing frameworks that simplify complex concepts and provide clear action steps.
• Sharing your experience and knowledge across multiple channels and formats (live training, e-learning, video, articles).

So take a moment to ask yourself: “What’s my authentic mission? Is it aligned with my true strengths, or is it based on things I think I SHOULD care about?”

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