Strengths Are Key To Creating Impact as an Environmental Leader

Ask anyone whose career is dedicated to protecting the planet and they will tell you about their important work to protect land, air, water and human health.  For the tens of thousands of leaders working on environmental conservation and protection, they measure impact by certain indicators.  How many acres of land were protected?  Was there a reduction in water pollution?  Did harmful projects or pollution get halted?  Were earth friendly policies adopted?  Were greenhouse gas emissions reduced?

But what if these leaders asked themselves a different question: Do I have a strong impact as an environmental leader?  The answer to this question is anything but prescribed.  Every individual brings very unique strengths.  And therefore they will have unique impacts.

That might seem obvious.  But all too often, the organizations that employ these eco-advocates don’t ask them to focus on their unique strengths.

The focus instead is on whether the “right” workplan is put together for the environmental work.  The work obviously matters but ignoring the unique, diverse, and powerful talents that every individual person brings to the work can mean less impact on the issue.

What if these leaders asked themselves a different question: Do I have a strong impact as an environmental leader? 

the cost of blindly following the formula

Our strengths aren’t always on our minds as we build our workplans and to-do lists to advance projects and campaigns to protect the environment.  My experience in the nonprofit environmental space is that workplans are mostly built by turning to a ‘formula’ for project planning.  That ‘formula’ might be a strategy, project plan, or even a theory of change.  The formula would lay out the gathering and analysis of data, the relationships to build, and institutions to influence, and how we want to execute the work.  The formula then defines the tasks and goals that ends up on workplans. 

Like many others working on environmental issues, I too had learned formulas for doing the work. Somewhere along the way, I had also lost my footing.  I was delivering formulaic workplans but I wasn’t feeling I was reaching my full potential.  I had lost my energy and drive.  I didn’t feel like I was shining.  I lacked confidence in what I was bringing.  After decades of working in the environmental space, I often wondered, “Was I just burnt out on trying to protect the environment?”

After decades of working in the environmental space, I often wondered, “Was I just burnt out on trying to protect the environment?”

adding in strengths to the ‘formula’

It wasn’t until I was introduced to this idea of leaning into my strengths that I understood what I was missing.  I had focused so entirely on following the right formula for environmental projects and campaigns that I had lost an essential ingredient – me.   

Yes, I was bringing my knowledge and skills.  I was applying best practices for creating change.   But more often than not, my day to day work wasn’t bringing my unique talents.   (Though to be clear, part of the problem was I wasn’t even clear what my unique talents were!)

Once I began to learn and understand my unique strengths,  I was able to focus on that work which allowed me to shine.  I was able to see more precisely where I would have a greater impact.  I was able to fall into roles that played to my strengths - not my weaknesses. And with that information, I was able to grow my career in a way that was more authentic to me and what I would bring.

WHAT IS A STRENGTH?

A strength is the ability to consistently provide near perfect performance in a specific activity.  When you exercise a strength, you feel strong.  And strengths are defined primarily by your natural talent.

Your strengths are defined by:

• How you best interact with people

• How you best execute and take action

• How you best organize and understand information

• How you best influence others

Strengths set you apart from everyone else.  Each person has a unique set of strengths.  If you were for example to take the Clifton Strengthfinder, there is a one in 33 million chance someone else would share your top strengths. 

One very important point about strengths:  just because you are good at something doesn’t mean it’s a strength.   All too often, we fall into the trap of continuing the work where we excel but aren’t in our strengths zone.

When you are using a strength, you feel strong.  You feel energized. You lose track of time. In short, you are engaged. And after you’ve finished using your strength, you have more energy than before.

TAKING THE TIME TO LEARN YOUR STRENGTHS

Most of us don’t know our strengths.   Again, just because you are good at your job doesn’t mean you are exercising your strengths. If you don’t really know your strengths (and I promise you, most don’t), you are navigating your career and life with a major blindspot.

So how can you figure out your strengths? Take some time to answer these four questions thinking about specific activities.

1.     When do I feel strong? 
Name specific activities where you aren’t just bringing your knowledge and skill but it’s instinctive to you. You might even feel that activity is effortless.  In fact, it is so effortless that you hardly notice it.

2.    What do others see as my greatest strength?
Others see your strengths and superpowers in a way that you cannot. Strengths are so instinctive that you hardly notice using them. This is why asking other people is such a great idea. Send a simple email to 3-4 people who know and like you and ask them to share their perspective of your strengths both inside and outside your job. 

If you don’t really know your strengths (and I promise you, most don’t), you are navigating your career and life with a major blindspot.

3.     How do I define success? Sometimes, your strengths are found in how  you define success. If you feel successful when you are mentoring staff, that is a hint.  If you feel successful when you are able to analyze data and find patterns, that is another clue.  Your success might be found in how you build relationships with others  or in communicating something effectively to a certain audience. The trick is not to focus on how others define success - success is defined by you.

Define your environmental career around your strengths

For the many environmental leaders I have coached, there is tremendous value in taking some time to learn strengths.  Strengths are key to helping you reach your full potential.  Strengths are instrumental to defining the next chapter in a career pathway. 

When you exercise and invest in your strengths, you will find more fulfillment.  And last but not least, strengths are what help you grow your impact. And when you grow your impact, you will do your very best for you and the planet together.