Your Signature Strengths Are Begging for More Airtime
Last month, I typed the final sentence of my new book, Unignorable: The Science of Being Taken Seriously.
I closed my laptop and just sat there. No champagne cork. No celebratory dance. Just a deep exhale that felt like I’d been holding my breath for months.
And then, something unexpected: a quiet rush of fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years.
It wasn’t about finishing. It was about how I got there. The late nights wrestling with ideas. The moments I stumbled onto a connection between two concepts that made me sit up straight. The mornings I couldn’t wait to open my notebook because I was genuinely curious about what I’d discover.
That’s when it hit me.
This feeling? This is what happens when you spend your days using your signature strengths.
For me, that’s creativity, curiosity, and love of learning. According to the VIA (Values in Action) assessment, those are my top three. And finishing that book wasn’t just productive. It was energizing in a way that most of my 18-year C-level career never was.
Don’t get me wrong. I had success in the corporate world. Titles. Projects. Impact. But I was always leaving something on the table. Because the things I was doing (budget reviews, compliance meetings, endless approvals) rarely tapped into what made me come alive.
I was good at my job. But I wasn’t using me.
That’s why I jumped off the corporate treadmill a decade ago. And it’s why I want to talk to you today about something that might change how you think about your life and work.
What Are Signature Strengths?
Signature strengths aren’t skills or talents. They’re the core parts of who you are. The qualities that feel authentic, energizing, and deeply you.
Research from the VIA Institute shows that people who regularly use their signature strengths report:
Higher life satisfaction
More engagement at work
Greater resilience during challenges
Stronger relationships
Here’s the kicker: Hope, zest, gratitude, love, and curiosity are the character strengths most strongly correlated with life satisfaction. Meanwhile, intellectual strengths like love of learning and creativity are valuable but they don’t always translate to happiness unless you're actively using them.
In other words, knowing your strengths isn’t enough. You have to create space for them in your daily life.
The Energy Audit You’ve Been Avoiding
Let me ask you a tough question:
How much of your life and work actually lets you leverage your signature strengths?
Not the strengths your job description requires. Not the strengths your boss values. Not the strengths you think you should have.
Your real ones. The ones that light you up.
If your answer is “not much,” you're not alone. Most people I coach are operating at 30-40% capacity when it comes to using their signature strengths. The rest of their energy goes to tasks that drain them, roles that don’t fit, or obligations they’ve inherited from someone else’s definition of success.
That’s exhausting. And it’s expensive.
Because when you’re not using your signature strengths, you’re not just tired. You’re also less satisfied, less engaged, and less you.
Try This: Take the VIA Assessment
If you’ve never taken the VIA Character Strengths assessment, this is your moment.
It’s free. It’s research-backed. And it’ll give you a ranked list of your 24 character strengths in about 15 minutes.
Take the free VIA assessment here →
Once you have your results, look at your top five strengths. Then ask yourself:
When was the last time I used this strength? (If you can’t remember, that’s your answer.)
What would it look like to use this strength more often? (Be specific. Don’t say “be more creative.” Say “spend 30 minutes sketching ideas before every client meeting.”)
What am I currently doing that drains me because it doesn’t align with my strengths? (This is the hard one. But it’s also the most important.)
Your signature strengths aren’t luxuries. They’re not hobbies. They’re the core of who you are.
And the more you use them, the more alive you'll feel.
Your coach,
Chris
P.S. If this resonates, I’d love to hear what your top strengths are. Hit reply and tell me. I read every response.
P.P.S. 🌟 If you’re already ahead of the game and know your current job isn’t aligned to your passion, consider joining The Unignorable Business Studio. This is a structured 10-week program that gives you the playbook and starter plan to launch and grow your own business. 10 people max and we only have 2 slots left.
