Mid-October Energy: Finding Your Strengths Sweet Spot

Christopher Dotson
Oct 15
2 min read

There’s something about mid-October. The mornings are crisp, the air feels energized, and the world seems to invite action.

For leaders, this isn’t just the beauty of the season, it’s an opportunity. A chance to fire on all cylinders, harness your energy, and create real impact.

But here’s the question:

Are you really working with your strengths, or just through the motions?

I’ve seen it countless times in my coaching sessions: leaders who are “busy” but not truly effective. You might recognize this feeling:

Your calendar is packed, yet nothing feels seamless.
Your team seems productive, but engagement feels off.
You’re pushing yourself, yet your energy dips before the week even ends.

The issue isn’t your effort, it’s alignment. You’re not fully leveraging your natural strengths in harmony. And when your strengths aren’t firing together, even your best intentions can feel fragmented.

So, how do we fix this?

The secret lies in identifying your Strengths Sweet Spot, the unique combination of your talents that work together to create peak performance.

Here’s how I help leaders discover it:

1. Reflect on Your Peak Moments

Think about a day recently when you felt fully engaged and effective. What were you doing?

For example, one client shared a story about a particularly challenging project. She felt energized because she was strategizing big-picture goals (her strength) while also coaching her team (another strength). The day flew by, and she felt accomplished without feeling drained.

Ask yourself: Which strengths were I using? Which felt effortless?

2. Notice Strengths in Harmony

Strengths rarely work alone. They perform best when they complement each other.

Take my personal example: I’ve always been analytical (a natural for problem-solving), but pairing it with my relator strength allows me to create strategies that resonate with people, not just numbers. When I ignore the relationship part, even brilliant solutions can fall flat.

Try mapping your strengths like this:

Strength	How it shows in action	Complementary strength
Strategic thinking	Planning team initiatives	Communication
Relationship building	Coaching team members	Analytical problem-solving
Executing	Delivering results	Adaptability for unforeseen challenges
Influencing	Inspiring others to take action and embrace new ideas	Strategic communication & emotional intelligence

When you see how your strengths interact, you can intentionally structure your work and team interactions for maximum impact.

3. Create Intentional Conditions

Once you know your Strengths Sweet Spot, recreate the conditions that let it shine. Here are some tips:

Time your energy peaks: Schedule strategic planning when you’re most alert, and collaborative sessions when your relational strengths are high.
Delegate wisely: Offload tasks that don’t align with your natural strengths.
Celebrate alignment wins: Notice and journal moments when your strengths worked together. It reinforces your peak-performance formula.

This week, I challenge you to pause and reflect: