A strength is not merely something you enjoy or perform well once. It is a capacity that can be recognised in behaviour, applied constructively and balanced according to context.
This original CounselorAid inventory helps you identify broad personal strengths, gather behavioural evidence and notice whether a strength is underused, well used or overused. It is not the VIA Inventory of Strengths, CliftonStrengths or any licensed commercial assessment.
- Assessment type: Original strengths-recognition and use inventory
- Completion time: 15–20 minutes
- Structure: 24 capacity ratings plus evidence and balance review
- Evidence status: Informed by character-strength and strengths-use research; not psychometrically validated
What counts as a personal strength?
Personal strengths may include character qualities, thinking capacities, interpersonal skills and self-management abilities. Research on strengths distinguishes between having a strength and using it. A person may possess creativity but work in an environment that gives little room to apply it. Another person may use responsibility so intensely that it becomes overcontrol or difficulty delegating.
The VIA framework describes 24 character strengths, and longitudinal research has linked strengths use with later well-being, vitality, self-esteem and lower stress. This inventory uses original behavioural descriptions and is not scored as a VIA assessment or Strengths Use Scale.
How to respond
Rate each capacity based on your behaviour during the past six months.
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rarely demonstrated |
| 2 | Occasionally demonstrated |
| 3 | Sometimes demonstrated |
| 4 | Often demonstrated |
| 5 | Consistently demonstrated across relevant situations |
Personal Strengths Inventory
| Strength | Behavioural description | Rating 1–5 |
|---|---|---|
| Curiosity | I ask questions and explore unfamiliar ideas or experiences. | ___ |
| Judgement | I examine evidence and consider more than one explanation. | ___ |
| Creativity | I generate useful alternatives, ideas or solutions. | ___ |
| Love of learning | I build knowledge because understanding matters to me. | ___ |
| Perspective | I can step back and identify the wider meaning or pattern. | ___ |
| Bravery | I act on important matters despite reasonable fear or discomfort. | ___ |
| Perseverance | I continue worthwhile effort while adjusting ineffective methods. | ___ |
| Honesty | I communicate truthfully without using bluntness as an excuse for harm. | ___ |
| Zest | I bring energy and active engagement to meaningful activities. | ___ |
| Kindness | I offer practical care while respecting my limits. | ___ |
| Social intelligence | I notice social and emotional cues and adapt appropriately. | ___ |
| Love and connection | I invest in mutual, supportive relationships. | ___ |
| Teamwork | I contribute reliably to shared goals and group responsibilities. | ___ |
| Fairness | I try to apply standards consistently and consider different needs. | ___ |
| Leadership | I help groups find direction, participation and accountability. | ___ |
| Forgiveness | I can reduce resentment without denying harm or abandoning boundaries. | ___ |
| Humility | I recognise my strengths and limits without exaggeration or self-erasure. | ___ |
| Prudence | I consider consequences before acting on important decisions. | ___ |
| Self-regulation | I can guide attention, habits and impulses toward chosen priorities. | ___ |
| Appreciation | I notice quality, beauty, skill or excellence in everyday life. | ___ |
| Gratitude | I recognise benefits and express appreciation without denying difficulties. | ___ |
| Hope | I can imagine workable paths forward and take steps toward them. | ___ |
| Humour | I use playfulness to connect or gain perspective without belittling others. | ___ |
| Meaning or spirituality | I connect daily actions with purpose, faith or a larger framework of meaning. | ___ |
Step 2: Identify likely strengths
Circle the six highest ratings. Do not assume that tiny score differences are meaningful. Then test each candidate against four questions:
- Evidence: Can I name at least two recent examples?
- Energy: Does using this capacity usually feel engaging rather than only draining?
- Effectiveness: Does it produce useful outcomes when applied well?
- Recognition: Have trusted people observed this capacity in me?
| Candidate strength | Recent evidence | Helpful outcome | Feedback from others |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| ________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Step 3: Review strength use and balance
For your four strongest candidates, rate present use:
| Strength | Underused | Well used | Possibly overused |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | □ | □ | □ |
| ________ | □ | □ | □ |
| ________ | □ | □ | □ |
| ________ | □ | □ | □ |
| Strength | Possible underuse | Possible overuse |
|---|---|---|
| Kindness | Withholding support despite capacity to help | Overgiving, rescuing or ignoring boundaries |
| Perseverance | Abandoning meaningful effort too quickly | Continuing a harmful or ineffective path |
| Humour | Missing opportunities for warmth or perspective | Deflecting pain or minimising serious concerns |
| Prudence | Acting without considering consequences | Excessive caution and avoidance |
| Leadership | Avoiding necessary direction | Controlling decisions or silencing others |
| Honesty | Concealing important information | Using “honesty” to justify unnecessary harshness |
Step 4: Create a strengths-use experiment
Select one strength that is both meaningful and underused. Plan one new, specific use during the next seven days.
| Strength | ________________ |
|---|---|
| Situation | ________________ |
| Specific action | ________________ |
| How I will know it helped | ________________ |
| Risk of overuse | ________________ |
| Balancing strength | ________________ |
Interpreting results responsibly
- Your highest ratings are candidates, not permanent labels.
- A lower-rated strength is not automatically a weakness or defect.
- Context changes which strengths are visible and useful.
- Skills developed through work or adversity may feel less “natural” but still be genuine strengths.
- Strengths should be evaluated by their effect, timing and balance—not only frequency.
Recommended internal resources
- Use the Self-Awareness Assessment to examine the situations in which strengths appear.
- Clarify the purpose your strengths serve with the Core Values Assessment.
- Explore a growth-oriented strengths approach in Transformation and Personal Growth.
- Review expectations and strengths-focused feedback in The Pygmalion Effect.
Limitations
Self-ratings can be influenced by confidence, culture, opportunity, role demands and feedback history. People from marginalised or highly critical environments may underestimate capacities that were not recognised. Conversely, familiarity with strengths language may inflate ratings without behavioural evidence. Use recent examples and trusted feedback to improve accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the VIA Survey?
No. It is an original CounselorAid inventory and does not calculate VIA character-strength scores.
Are my lowest scores weaknesses?
Not necessarily. They may reflect limited opportunity, lower priority, skill development needs or a context in which the capacity is less visible.
Can a strength become harmful?
Any capacity can be poorly timed, excessive or used without a balancing quality. Effectiveness depends on context.
How often should I repeat the inventory?
Revisit it after three to six months or after a major change in role. Track examples of strengths use between assessments.
Research foundation
- Wood AM, Linley PA, Maltby J, Kashdan TB, Hurling R. Using Personal and Psychological Strengths Leads to Increases in Well-Being Over Time. Personality and Individual Differences. 2011;50(1):15–19.
- Park N, Peterson C, Seligman MEP. Strengths of Character and Well-Being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
- VIA Institute assessment information and use guidance.
Important: This tool has not undergone psychometric validation. It must not be represented as the VIA Inventory, CliftonStrengths or a validated employee-selection instrument.