Strengths-Based Leadership: A More Sustainable Way to Create Impact at Work

In the first episode of Impact at Work, Eva Brookes, Strengths Practitioner, joins hosts David Macciocca and Jo Vohland to explore how real workplace impact begins with self-awareness.

A certified strengths practitioner and experienced global talent leader, Eva shares her belief that true impact doesn’t come from volume or speed. It starts when individuals understand what energises them and how to apply that knowledge meaningfully in their role, team, and career.

Why strengths matter more than ever

For Eva, strengths are not just a tool for performance. They are a powerful lens for creating long-term, energising impact.

“One of the aspects of career development and working with people that I absolutely love is working with strengths. It is so uplifting. Strength is about just knowing that you are resourced as an individual, and your team is resourced to make a real impact.”

She explains that recognising and using our strengths changes how we show up, both at work and in our personal lives.

“It’s innate in everybody. We all have them. It’s all unique to us. It’s something that stays with us, and we have agency over that can really help us have impact at work but also in our personal lives and beyond.”

Not all work is created equal

Eva introduces the idea of work that fills your cup versus work that drains you.

She encourages leaders to reflect on the difference and build awareness of not only what they do well, but what gives them energy.

“Some work fills your cup and gives you energy, while other work leaves you drained. Strengths can help demystify that.”

This approach moves beyond performance to consider the emotional experience of work.

Use strengths to talk about yourself more effectively

Eva explains how strengths awareness can help people communicate their value during job applications, performance reviews, and promotion conversations.

“Having the language of knowing how to talk about yourself... I think is the thing most people lack.”

She notes that strengths frameworks give people a more authentic, specific way to describe their approach to work, not just their job title or technical skills.

“It’s not just how you show up at work and realise your strengths, but how you actually compete for top roles.”

Knowing your energisers and stretch points helps you articulate what makes you different and why it matters.

Getting personal with strengths

As part of the episode, both David and Jo complete a strengths assessment and reflect on their results. Eva guides them through the outcomes and explains a surprising insight:

“If you ask people what their strengths are, about one in three will be able to tell you. And even then, they’re likely to give you a traditional response, something they’re good at.”

She clarifies that strengths are not just skills. They are the areas where your capability meets motivation.

“That’s what comes through our education system ‘you’re really strong at that because you’re good at that.’ But there’s actually a few more elements that come into a strength.”

Eva uses the Strengths Profile tool from Cappfinity, which helps people recognise not just what they’re capable of, but what energises them. It also identifies areas that may be draining, even if performance remains high.

A new definition of impact

Eva challenges the idea that impact is defined by volume or output. Instead, she focuses on alignment and sustainability.

“When you said ‘what would you like to talk about when it comes to impact?’ for me, it’s strengths. Because when people are working in their strengths, that’s when they really make a difference.”

Final thoughts

For leaders and teams who want to create meaningful impact, Eva Brookes offers a practical and human framework. When people are resourced to do the work that energises them, impact becomes more than a metric. It becomes sustainable, personal, and deeply motivating.

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