“Build on your strengths” is all the rage in business and psychology these days. Good employers are supposed to hire people based on the strengths they already posses since strengths endure and are hard to teach. This is an appealing message. After all, it sounds a lot more fun to do what comes naturally than to slave away trying to overcome weaknesses or learn new skills. But if you want to find meaning at work and in life you need to do more than strut your strengths and expect others to applaud. You need to build on strengths that energize you and strengthen others. Finding your identity by building on your strengths is one of seven drivers for finding meaning explored in The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations that Win (2010, McGraw Hill).
