The Illusion of Insight
Tasha Eurich studied thousands of people regarding self-awareness. A striking finding: 90 percent of people believe they see themselves objectively. In reality, only 15 to 20 percent are actually able to do so (Insight, 2017).
This gap is particularly pronounced when it comes to strengths. Most people either underestimate their strengths or perceive them differently than they actually are.
Why? Because strengths are like blinking. When you do them, you don’t notice them because they’re so natural.
The “Everyone Does It” Fallacy
The most common mechanism that makes a strength invisible is this: because doing that thing comes easily to you, you assume it’s easy for others, too.
One person explains complex ideas in an understandable way. But they think everyone can do it because it isn’t difficult for them. Another makes people feel safe. They describe this as “just listening.”
Marcus Buckingham’s finding: the strongest strengths are often the least noticed. Because they don’t feel like a struggle (Now, Discover Your Strengths, 2001).
Two Reliable Ways to Discover Them
Research supports two approaches to identifying strengths:
Energy map: For one week, note which tasks make time fly by and which ones have you constantly checking the clock. This list is not a competency list—it’s an energy map. And your strengths lie among the tasks that energize you.
External perspective: Ask five people you trust: “What do you see me excelling at? What do you think you couldn’t teach me?” These answers are often very different from your own assessment—and much more accurate.
Eurich’s research shows that an external perspective yields results that are, on average, four times more accurate than self-observation.
The Fallacy of Focusing on Weaknesses
The education system and most organizational feedback focus on weaknesses: “You need to improve in this area.” This approach makes strengths invisible.
But research paints a different picture. According to Buckingham and Clifton’s CliftonStrengths data: when comparing the effort spent bringing a weakness up to an average level with the effort spent bringing a strength to an exceptional level, the latter yields significantly higher career performance and satisfaction.
Addressing weaknesses is important. But building on strengths is a more effective strategy for your career.
Knowing Your Strengths Isn’t Enough
Another finding from Eurich’s research: people who know their strengths but do not actively seek opportunities to use them do not show significantly different levels of satisfaction and performance compared to those who do not know their strengths.
Knowing is just the beginning. Incorporating your strengths into your current role, career decisions, and daily task allocation is a separate step.
“It’s not knowing what your strength is; it’s seeking opportunities to use it every day that makes the difference.” > Adapted from Marcus Buckingham, Now, Discover Your Strengths, 2001
Cevvela’s Perspective
- Strengths go unnoticed because they feel most natural; the misconception that “everyone does this” makes a strength seem ordinary (Buckingham, 2001).
- Most people think they see themselves objectively, but they don’t; an external perspective fills this gap (Eurich, 2017).
- The energy map and the external perspective are the two most reliable ways to discover strengths.
- Building on strengths rather than trying to compensate for weaknesses is a more effective career strategy.
- Coaching can be used in this process to make strengths visible, create an energy map, and incorporate these into career decisions.
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