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Review of Now, Discover Your Strengths, Section I
Krista L. Botton
California State University, Northridge
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Abstract
Paper discusses section I of Now, Discover Your Strengths, a text by Marcus Buckingham
and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. that considers a method of self-improvement based on focusing on
an individual’s strengths. Included are a summary of the text, analysis of the text by the author
of this paper and its comparison to real-life practice, and interest in potential application of
concepts discussed in the text.
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Review of Now, Discover Your Strengths, Section I
Summary of Section I
Section I of this text discusses the background and explanation for a program that is
intended for all individuals to identify and develop their personal and unique talents or strengths.
The basic idea behind this is that if individuals can identify and develop these strengths,
determined by patterns in behavior, then business, schools, agencies, etc. will be more
productive. This is possible because people, each as individuals will be doing what they are best
at and what they enjoy. The book says that “by identifying and refining these signature themes
you will be in the best possible position to play out your own strengths to the fullest” (p. 12).
The text begins by considering several examples of individuals who are living “strong
lives;” lives that are fitting to each of the individuals’ talents or strengths. The major
encouragement in these examples is to “look inside yourself, try to identify your strongest
threads, reinforce them with practice and learning, and then either find or…carve out a role that
draws on these strengths every day” (p. 21). The question arises as to what is a strength? The
text definition of a strength is “consistent near perfect performance in an activity” (p. 25). So a
strength is something that is done repeatedly, it is a “predictable part of your performance” (p.
26). The text continues with the disclaimer that “you do not have to have strength in every
aspect of your role in order to excel,” that “excellent performers are rarely well-rounded.” But
rather “you will excel only by maximizing your strengths” (p. 26). What about our weakness?
The text invites you to work around weaknesses, not to ignore them completely, but allows us to
consider that these are areas of personality that we cannot fix entirely so although important to
“manage,” they should not be the focus of our energy – that should be left for our strengths.
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In order to build a life around your strengths three things must happen. First, you must
know what your talents are, they must be identified. These are talents that are natural or innate,
not things that we can learn. These talents, when combined with knowledge and skills create our
strengths. Second, since we all have many different talents, it is important to identify the talents
that are most dominant or in which we have the greatest potential as individuals. Lastly, we need
to understand the “common language” used to define these talents (p. 32). By sharing a common
language of strength we can surround ourselves with others who compliment our strengths.
The final section of this portion of the text discusses the nature behind which we arrive at
our talents. It discusses the biology behind fetal construction of the nervous system and how the
body must select as we mature, the pathways or connections that are most important or strongest.
These pathways become those that we rely on most as we mature and therefore they are the ones
by which our patterns begin to emerge. We cannot keep all of the connections that we create
embryonically and throughout infancy because we would be too overwhelmed by the
information presented to us by our environments so we have a “unique mental network…[that]
serves a filter, sorting and sifting the world we encounter, causing us to zero in on some stimuli
and miss others entirely” (p. 54). This is the basis for our talents and the reason why they are
different for each of us.
Analysis of Section I
I found this section of text to be a very unique approach to self improvement and
development. I have sat in on countless seminars and workshops that focus on how to improve
businesses, schools and teaching practices that discuss the importance of examining and
improving your weaknesses or becoming more a more well-rounded individual. I have even had
supervisors and managers who would strive to create a balance in their employees by having
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them work in different areas for periods of time, even though it is not their strength, for the
purpose of creating a more well-rounded employee. This text and its revolution flies in the face
of the mainstream thought but yet, I found it curiously valid and perhaps even sound. I think it
would go without saying that individuals would be happier when they enjoy, or even thrive on
the work that they do. It would also make sense that happy employees should translate into
increased productivity in the workplace. So how better to increase on the job productivity than
to allow everyone to focus on their strengths and create teams of individuals who will
compliment each others weaknesses to create a well-rounded front to the consumer, populace,
classroom, etc. Yet, it is not often seen that employers hire individuals based on how they will
compliment a certain team or position, mostly this is done on individual merit or skill.
Application of Section I
I am curious to continue with the text to look at and consider each of the major “themes”
they have identified as talents or strengths. I am interested in knowing what my personal
strengths are and how they can best be applied to my teaching practice in order to help my
students better understand material and grow as individuals and young adults. I am also
fascinated by the idea of creating teams of individuals who can work together to provide for the
best experience or understanding. Teams of faculty who can develop innovating new programs
or projects that increase student understanding and invigorate students to better appreciate
sciences as well as teams of students who work cooperatively toward an appropriate
understanding goal, could be created all of which are based on the individual’s strengths.
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References
Buckingham, Marcus and Clifton, Donald O. Ph.D. (2001). Now, Discover Your Strengths.
New York: The Free Press.
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