Every year I ask founding members, advisors and panelists for Strengths in Numbers to share a selfie—or a fun photo loving life this year.

These photos always inspire me and underline how much bigger and better life gets when we focus on our strengths. 

This year’s collection is no exception.

There’s a story behind every photo—and I hope these highlights capture even a fraction of how people are contributing their greatest talents in life and building life-affirming organizations.

Our highlights include that:

She got certified in scuba diving.

He doubled his income in one year.

He submitted a patent for his invention—his intellectual property.

She got published for the first time.

She took her whole family to Paris.

He rolled out digital transformation and design thinking for the whole enterprise.

She got paid thousands to speak on the big keynote stage for LinkedIn.

He finally found the exact business partner he had always hoped for.

She found the love of her life and the...

Focusing only on my strengths seemed restrictive to me before I interviewed dozens of people for The Career Within You.

There was an element of scarcity in my thinking. I was overly concerned about how I might be judged at work if I didn't act like the stereotypical business leader.

It didn’t occur to me that focusing on my strengths might make my world bigger and better… but that’s exactly what happened!

Putting a strengths practice first adds more to your life.

What most people get wrong

It’s natural to assume that positioning yourself in a niche way around your strengths will narrow your leadership opportunities, making your life smaller and your work less profitable. You think you might be valued less because you’re implying to your boss, co-workers or customers that you don't fit into what they want from you. At least, that’s what I used to think.

But since I started practicing what I preach in my book, The Career Within You, I’ve had more fun, more free time, more joy and m...