what are your superpowers?

Early in my career as a lawyer, I spent a lot of time dwelling on the skills I didn’t have—like financial modeling. They don’t teach that in law school, and I hadn’t taken math since high school! As a result, I overlooked my strengths. I was really good at managing clients. I could distill complicated concepts into easy-to-read emails, and I was happy to spend time with new founders explaining the basics of a venture financing.

If I had led with my strengths, I would have sought out more opportunities to be client-facing and built a reputation for exceptional client service. Developing this strength could have freed me from that running narrative of self-doubt around my more nascent skills. So, do what I say and not what I did…

Here’s how to get clear on YOUR strengths:

Make a list: Write down what you know about yourself—these are the things you’d mention in an interview. If you’re feeling stuck, try an AI prompt like “What are the most important skills for a midlevel M&A associate in a law firm?”

Get feedback: Look back at your annual reviews, and ask your current colleagues (supervisors and those you supervise) to name your top three skills. If you’re feeling brave, ask them what one thing you could do differently to improve. Also, sometimes our superpowers are the things that come so naturally that we don’t even realize that they are skills. This is where getting feedback from others can help us clear up such a blind spot.

Take an assessment: I’m an Enneagram practitioner, and it’s a great tool for identifying strengths and areas for growth. CliftonStrengths is another popular choice here!

Work with a coach: A coach can help you identify your strengths and support you as you lean into them. Reach out if you want to talk about how we can work together!