Developing a career highlight reel

At some point in most careers, a quiet but persistent question pops up: am I actually using my strengths or am I just getting better at managing my weaknesses?

It is an important distinction, and it sits at the heart of the work of Dan Cable, London Business School professor and expert social scientist, whose research and writing focus on how people access their potential and do their best work more consistently.

In his book Exceptional, Cable introduces an idea that feels both simple and surprisingly powerful.

Most of us have a distorted view of ourselves at work. We remember mistakes more vividly than successes and criticism more clearly than praise. Over time, that imbalance shapes how we see our abilities and how we make career decisions. We start choosing roles based on what we think we should be good at rather than what actually brings out our best.

Cable invites readers to imagine a different way of seeing themselves. Instead of relying on self-assessment, he encourages people to build a personal highlight reel made up of stories from people who have seen them at their best.

These are moments when others experienced your strengths in action. Times when you made something clearer, calmer, stronger or more effective simply by being yourself. Many people are surprised by what emerges when they gather these stories. Patterns appear that were never obvious before.

From a career perspective, this can be a turning point. When you understand how others experience your strengths, you gain a much clearer picture of where you naturally add value. This makes career choices less about chasing titles or checking boxes and more about alignment. You stop asking what you should fix first and start asking what you should use more often.

Cable’s three-step process is grounded in research but feels deeply human.

The first step is activating your best self by collecting feedback from your network. This is not about compliments for the sake of reassurance; it is about evidence. When several people independently describe similar moments where you were effective or impactful, that information becomes hard to ignore. It tells you something reliable about how you show up when you are at your best.

The second step is shaping your work and life around those strengths. This does not mean avoiding challenges or pretending weaknesses do not exist, it means being intentional. For some, this might look like gravitating toward projects that allow for creativity, relationship building or strategic thinking. For others, it might mean stepping away from roles that constantly drain energy and moving toward environments where their strengths are welcomed and needed.

This part of the process often requires courage. Many people stay in roles that look good on paper even when they feel disconnected from the work. Cable’s research suggests fulfillment comes less from external markers of success and more from using your strengths regularly. When your work allows you to do what you are naturally good at, effort feels lighter and progress feels more meaningful.

The third step focuses on confidence and resilience. Careers are long, and even people who love their work experience setbacks, criticism, and periods of doubt. A well-grounded understanding of your strengths acts as an anchor during those moments. Instead of interpreting every challenge as a personal failure, you can see it as one chapter in a much larger story of contribution.

This mindset shift can be transformative. When people know who they are at their best, feedback becomes easier to hear and decisions become easier to make. You are less likely to be shaken by every opinion and more likely to trust your own judgment. That confidence does not come from arrogance. It comes from clarity.

One of the most compelling aspects of Cable’s work is how relational it is. The highlight reel is built through conversations and reflection with others. It reinforces the idea that our strengths are often most visible in relationship. This matters in careers because so much work is done with and through other people. Understanding how you positively impact others gives your work a deeper sense of purpose.

For someone early in their career, these ideas offer a valuable shortcut. Instead of spending years guessing where you fit best, you can gather insight early and use it to guide your choices. For someone mid-career, this approach can help reconnect with what originally made work meaningful before responsibilities and expectations piled up. For someone later in their career, it can clarify where to focus energy and where to let go.

Cable’s work is deeply informed by his role at London Business School, where he has spent years studying motivation, identity and performance. What makes Exceptional resonate is it does not ask people to become someone new. It asks them to notice who they already are when things are going well and to build from there.

Career advice often focuses on the next move, the next credential or the next gap to close. This book offers a quieter but more sustainable approach.

Look for evidence of your strengths. Listen carefully to how others describe you at your best. Then make choices that allow that version of you to show up more often. Every one of us already has moments of excellence behind us. They are not accidents, they are clues.

When you learn to recognize them and design your career around them, work becomes less about proving yourself and more about expressing yourself. That shift alone can change how you experience your career and how confident you feel navigating whatever comes next.

Tory McNally, CPHR, BSc., vice-president, professional services at TIPI Legacy HR+ (formerly Legacy Bowes), is a human resource consultant, strategic thinker and problem solver. She can be reached at tmcnally@tipipartners.com