My current favorite survey to develop initial awareness of your strengths is the VIA Signature Strength Survey offered on the Authentic Happiness website. VIA is short for values in action.

The survey is free and takes about 30 to 40 minutes. After completing the survey you can get the results of your 5 signature strengths. According to the research in Positive Psychology people who know their strengths and use their strengths on a daily basis report a higher level of happiness.

I have listed my strengths in the about me section of this blog. They are:

(1) humor and playfulness;
(2) curiosity;
(3) creativity, ingenuity, and originality;
(4) love of learning; and,
(5) spirituality and sense of purpose.

I strongly encourage you to take this survey. I plan to have a number of entries on the signature strengths in the near future.

Peter Drucker died today. I will miss his thinking and viewpoints. I have been in a conundrum on how to start this new blog on leadership. I knew my central focus was on strength-based leadership and the importance of caring and love in leadership. Since Peter Drucker is no longer alive to offer his insights and actions I would like to dedicate this site to him.

Peter wrote a very imporant article on “Managing Oneself.” in the Harvard Business Review March-April. 1999: 65-70. The essence of managing oneself was to know our strengths and to fully develop a strength-based leadership approach. Here is a short outline of the article from the Harvard Business Review site (you can also order a reprint of the article at this site):

Peter Drucker tells us in this seminal article first published in 1999, it means we have to learn to develop ourselves. We have to place ourselves where we can make the greatest contribution to our organizations and communities. And we have to stay mentally alert and engaged during a 50-year working life, which means knowing how and when to change the work we do.

It may seem obvious that people achieve results by doing what they are good at and by working in ways that fit their abilities. But, Drucker says, very few people actually know–let alone take advantage of–their fundamental strengths.

He challenges each of us to ask ourselves: What are my strengths? How do I perform? What are my values? Where do I belong? What should my contribution be? Don’t try to change yourself, Drucker cautions. Instead, concentrate on improving the skills you have and accepting assignments that are tailored to your individual way of working. If you do that, you can transform yourself from an ordinary worker into an outstanding performer.

Today’s successful careers are not planned out in advance. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they have asked themselves those questions and rigorously assessed their uniquecharacteristics. This article challenges readers to take responsibility for managing their futures, both in and out of the office.