Self-Assurance StrengthsFinder TL;DR.

The self-assurance StrengthsFinder talent means you’re confident in your own ability to discern the right direction and get things done.

You have a comfort with risk and decisiveness that invites your team to follow you amidst uncertainty. 

You want to find a space where you can set ambitious goals and be empowered to go after them.

Your confidence comes paired with a strong sense of accountability for your own life and choices. You don’t want to mislead yourself. 

If you’re already familiar with StrengthsFinder, you can skip over the next section.

How do you lead well with self-assurance in your StrengthsFinder top 5?

So you’ve taken the StrengthsFinder assessment, received your results and found self-assurance in the list. Now you’re wondering how to grow or leverage this strength in your leadership. 

I've led teams in many uncertain environments where there was no script to follow. I've also helped new leaders take confident action down new paths.

These are four strategies I’ve seen leaders with strong self-assurance use to help their teams navigate uncertainty.

1. Be a guide through the unknown.
2. Facilitate feedback.
3. Make original mistakes.
4. Look for innovative or startup environments.

Be a guide through the unknown.

When leading through uncertainty, be aware of your own confidence. Your team will feed off it and, with any luck, join you in the decision-making process.

Mistakes are a natural part of learning and growth

Be willing to answer questions if needed but also encourage your team to find their own way forward. You don't have all the answers, so guide them to develop their own solutions.

Facilitate feedback.

One of the essential skills for a leader is fostering an open, honest and constructive communication environment. Create space and time in your team meetings to discuss progress and challenges so everyone can give feedback from their perspective. 

You have a comfort with risk and decisiveness that invites your team to follow you amidst uncertainty.

Make quality feedback a core part of your team's operating system. This could include holding weekly one-on-one with your team members or facilitating regular retrospectives.

Feedback is vital to quality leadership; you want to feed your team and your decisions with reliable data.

Make original mistakes. 

Mistakes are a natural part of learning and growth. As a leader, you should be willing to take risks and make mistakes.

"Make original mistakes" was my mentor's advice when I was first leading a team in a complex and uncertain environment. He reminded me that there was no script for the work I was doing and that I shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes. 

Do you find yourself more willing to take risks than your peers?

This approach doesn’t mean recklessness or carelessness, but it suggests that you can use your self-assurance to take calculated risks and learn from them.

Be open with your team when things don’t go according to plan, and show them you’re willing to own up to your mistakes.

Look for innovative or startup environments.

If you're looking for a job, consider finding an environment where self-assurance is valued. For example, start-up companies may be a great fit as they are often in uncharted waters and need leaders who can make decisions and take risks.

Innovative businesses are also great environments for leaders with self-assurance. These types of companies tend to foster a culture of creativity and risk-taking, which is the perfect place for you to thrive!

As a leader, you should be willing to take risks and make mistakes

You want to find a space where you can set ambitious goals and be empowered to go after them.

No matter what environment you find yourself in, focusing on developing your strengths can help you use them to lead with confidence and self-assurance. 

You can use these strategies to help you navigate the unknown and ensure you're leading in the direction that best serves your team and organization.

As you learn to lead using your self-assurance strength, you can guide your team or organization from feeling uncertain to feeling confident.

Self-assurance can be a powerful tool in navigating unknown situations. Whether you’re in a startup or establishing a new business, lean into the confidence to take risks and make mistakes when needed will help your team succeed. 

By leveraging feedback from others, being willing to go down new paths, and looking for innovative environments where you can use your strengths, you can confidently become an effective leader. 

Self-assurance may not come easy at first, but by staying focused on developing it as part of your leadership style, you'll be able to lead teams through any uncertainty that comes your way.

Leaders with the self-assurance strength can struggle with an antipattern of self-deception. Learning the strengths antipatterns will allow you to continue growing as a healthy, intentional leader. 

You are on an extraordinary journey to living and leading from your strengths. You can explore the list below to learn about the rest of your top 5 strengths.