“Your life is the sum total of what you pay attention to.”
I heard this at a convention a few weeks back, and while it initially felt like just another catchy quote, it’s been quietly hanging around in my head ever since…it’s even crept into my golf game.
Let me explain.
My short game is a bit of a disaster. Every time I miss the green, I brace myself: “Here we go again, don’t mess this up.”
It’s frustrating.
I’ve had lessons, tried different techniques and watched endless videos, all to fix this one glaring weakness.
And where has all my attention been?
Squarely on the weakness.
The result?
My potential ends up capped by that weakness, not expanded by my strengths.
It’s the same story at work. We spend so much energy trying to fix what’s ‘wrong’ and ignore the things we naturally do well, the things that actually light us up.
This isn’t just a personal insight though, there’s research backs it up. Studies by Gallup and the VIA Institute, grounded in positive psychology, show that when employees focus on their strengths, they’re more confident, engaged, and productive. Teams perform better and people stick around longer.
Why?
Because when we use our strengths, we feel more alive, time flies and work feels more like play.
I’m sure you remember moments like this from your childhood, those joyful, effortless times. That’s the power of tapping into strengths.
Unfortunately, most of us are trained from an early age to focus on what we lack. For instance, if you brought home your school report as a child with half a dozen A’s and B’s and an E in say, Physics (true story), where do you think your parent’s focus goes?
We have an immediate need to ‘fix’ and all the joy that could come from the A’s and B’s is smothered.
Your next report comes round, you see the results and you hide the report… (another true story).
That mindset follows us into our careers, where “fixing” becomes the norm, and it drains motivation.
So, what can leaders do?
1. Shift the focus.
Start seeing strengths as core tools for growth, not just feel-good fluff. When leaders recognise and build on people’s strengths, they spark motivation and trust.
2. Make strengths part of the system.
Use team strengths assessments. Tie your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to individual talents and bring those strengths into performance conversations, project planning, even team retreats.
You can build this into simple things, like having team members share how they’ll use a specific strength in an upcoming project or designing peer coaching exercises around top strengths. I’ve seen firsthand how these small shifts lead to better communication, trust, and performance.
Motivation is one of the biggest challenges in leadership. A strengths-based approach isn’t just more enjoyable – it actually works.
And as my golf game keeps reminding me, what you pay attention to really does shape your outcomes.
If you’d like some help ensuring you’re playing to your team’s strengths, drop me a message and let’s have a chat.
