Here's 34 Dimensions to Discover Your Own Strength

What Are Your Strengths?

The positive psychology movement has made great strides in understand- ing the different strengths that comprise personality. 

Let’s take a look at two particularly thorough surveys of personal strengths and see what they might mean for trading. 

The first survey comes from Buckingham and Clifton’s 2001 book, Now, Discover Your Strengths. Grounded in the research of the Gallup organization, Buckingham and Clifton outline 34 strengths that are assessed by their online instrument, known as StrengthsFinder. 

That test is particularly useful because it identifies clusters of strengths that can be synergistic. Experiences become peak experiences when they uniquely draw on our signature strengths.

Here are the 34 dimensions identified by the authors: 

• 1. Achiever—a high level of achievement drive and orientation.
• 2. Activator—a doing orientation and an ability to take decisive action. 
• 3. Adaptability—the ability to adjust to new conditions and situations. 
• 4. Analytical—the abilityto use data and logical reasoningto understand the world. 
• 5. Arranger—the ability to manage and coordinate complex situations. 
• 6. Belief—a strong system of values that guide decisions and actions. 
• 7. Command—the ability to take charge and lead. 
• 8. Communication—the ability to translate ideas into written and spoken words. 
• 9. Competition—the drive to outperform rivals in performance situations. 
• 10. Connectedness—the capacity to feel linked to others and feel part of something larger. 
• 11. Context—the ability to understand events by placing them in a wider framework. 
• 12. Deliberative—the ability to think ahead and plan actions. 
• 13. Developer—the drive to help others realize their potential. 
• 14. Discipline—the capacityto guide actionsthrough structured routines. 
• 15. Empathy—the ability to see the world through the eyes of others. 
• 16. Fairness—the desire to treat others with equality and consideration. 
• 17. Focus—the ability to be guided by the efficient pursuit of goals. 
• 18. Futuristic—the drive to vision and work toward a desired future state. 
• 19. Harmony—the desire to interact with others based on shared perspectives. 
• 20. Ideation—the capacity to work with and become excited about ideas. 
• 21. Inclusiveness—the drive to broaden social horizons and include others. 
• 22. Individualization—the ability to perceive and value the unique qualities of others. 
• 23. Input—the desire to collect new things and experiences. 
• 24. Intellection—the ability to derive enjoyment from intellectual pursuits. 
• 25. Learner—the drive and desire to continuously engage in learning. 
•  26. Maximizer—the desire to make the most of one’s own assets and those of others. 
• 27. Positivity—the ability to see the best in situations and others. 
• 28. Relator—the desire to make the most of close friendships and relationships. 
• 29. Responsibility—the ability to take ownership for actions and outcomes. 
• 30. Restorative—the drive to tackle and solve problems. 
• 31. Self-Assurance—the ability to project and act with self-confidence. 
• 32. Significance—the belief in the importance of one’s efforts. 
• 33. Strategic—the ability to select means to reach desired ends. 
• 34. Woo—the ability to persuade others. 

This is a very broad list. All of us have at least some of all of these qualities, so it can be difficult to identify which might be our signature strengths.