LST 201 Leadership SWOT Analysis
Preparation Guide
To perform a personal SWOT analysis, first print out this worksheet, and write down answers to the following questions.
Strengths
• What advantages do you have that others don’t have (for example, skills, education, or connections)?
• What do you do better than anyone else?
• What do other people see as your strengths?
• Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
• What values do you believe in that others fail to exhibit?
Consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around you. And don’t be modest or shy – be as objective as you can. Knowing and using your strengths can make you happier and more fulfilled. And if you still have any difficulty identifying your strengths, write down a list of your personal characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths!
Tip: Think about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if you’re a
great mathematician and the people around you are also great at math, then this is not
likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be a necessity. But if you’re great at organizing and others are not, that’s a very important strength.
Weaknesses
• What tasks do you usually avoid because you don’t feel confident doing them?
• What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
• Are you completely confident in your education and skills? If not, where are you weakest?
• What are your negative work habits (for example, are you often late, are you disorganized, do you have a short temper, or are you poor at handling stress)?
• Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field? For instance, if you have to conduct meetings on a regular basis, a fear of public speaking would be a major weakness.
Again, consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external perspective. Do other people see weaknesses that you don’t see? Do your peers consistently outperform you in key areas? Be realistic – it’s best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.
Strengths and weaknesses focus on the present, while opportunities and threats focus on the future. Now think about how your strengths and weaknesses could lead to positive and negative outcomes going forward.
Opportunities
• What changes in your life do you see coming that you are particularly ready for? That might be the opportunity for a summer job, a move to a new place, or a new challenge at school or work.
• How would you describe your network going forward? Do you have friends (or do you know influential people) who might be able to mentor you, give you advice, or help you get your foot in the door?
• Is there anything around you (on your sports team, in your sorority/fraternity, at home, at work) that you see a need no one else is filling—and that you think you’d be good at taking on?
• Do you know of any opportunities that might help you develop your core strengths? For example, perhaps you want to get better at speaking and could take a summer speech course, or you want to get better at influencing/inspiring others and could help coach a kids sports team this summer.
Threats
• What obstacles do you currently face at school or at work—or even in your personal life?
• How could your weaknesses hurt you in the future?
• What is the biggest threat to you realizing your goals? The second biggest threat?