Discovering Your Teen's Hidden Strengths: A Parent’s Guide
Imagine being a teenager today: navigating a world where every swipe and scroll stacks up against them, making them question if they’re smart enough, talented enough, or simply “enough.” Many teens struggle with the pressure to measure up. They watch their peers excel and wonder, “Why is it so easy for them, but so hard for me?” In school, they might feel like their teachers are disappointed in them or even don’t like them, mistaking feedback as a judgment on who they are, not just how they’re doing.
And what’s the point of excelling at something if there’s no joy or fulfillment in it anyway?
These internal struggles—doubts, feeling overlooked, or just plain frustration—are more common than we think. As parents, we see the incredible potential in our kids, but we also see how easy it is for them to get lost in the constant noise of expectations and comparisons. I want my kids to see the strengths in themselves that I see.
The Process as a Family
So on a Monday night, in the comfort of our living room, I couldn’t resist sharing a tool with my kids that my team at ESSDACK uses with teams and leaders.
The tool, The 6 Types of Working Genius (now for Students!), was the "magic elixir" that sparked 90 minutes (yes - an hour and a half!) of focused attention, genuine conversation, and a visible confidence boost in my kids.
In fact, the spark for this blog was the sheer delight of watching them engage in something I expected to be met with eye rolls or worse. (Okay, there were a few farts. Teenage boys, amirite?)
In fact, it turned out better than I expected: I was stunned and inspired by their insights. When our conversation wound down, my 13-year-old said, “It caused me to think of myself in a different way,” and my 15-year-old agreed, “This was insightful. I liked it!”
To keep the momentum going, we made a family “genius” map, and I hung it on the fridge, full of potential for understanding each other better and working well as a team.
Five days later, we’re still talking about it.
What is the Working Genius?
The 6 Types of Working Genius (now for Students) is a tool for:
Discovering joy and fulfillment
Understanding past guilt and judgment
Igniting curiosity and self-awareness
It’s a 10-minute assessment that helps people understand their gifts and frustrations so they can experience fulfillment and dignity in their work - as an individual and within a group.
Who wouldn’t want to experience fulfillment and dignity together? Sign me up!
If you’re like me and enjoy tools for discovery, you’ll enjoy this. If you like facilitation, we can do that for you - for teams, which includes families, partnerships, and now students.Start the school year with a guide to refer to when frustration or discouragement comes, and let’s empower our kids (and colleagues!) together and onward.Email our team: inspiredleadership@essdack.org