Top 100 Strengths and weaknesses list for teens (2024)

• by Greg Langston
• For Parents,

Why I wrote this article:

After working with hundreds of students, we have found that they rarely are taught in high school to identify their strengths and weaknesses list. I believe this is because of the following:

1. Limited resources: Post Covid, high schools often have limited resources and scheduling options. They prioritize subjects such as math, science, and language arts over personal development and self-awareness.
2. Lack of focus: High schools may not have a specific curriculum or program in place to help students understand their strengths and weaknesses. Instead, the focus is on academic subjects and preparing students for standardized tests.
3. Insufficient training: High school teachers may not have the training or expertise to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses. This makes it difficult to provide students with the necessary guidance and support.

I believe parents need to provide students with opportunities to develop self-awareness and understand their unique strengths and weaknesses list, as it can be a crucial factor in their future success and happiness. After reading this article, I encourage you to read my more comprehensive article on the subject here.

What tips can parents provide to their teens regarding strengths and weaknesses?

Here are some tips that parents can provide to their teenagers regarding strengths and weaknesses:

1. Encourage reflection and self-assessment: Parents can encourage their teenagers to take the time to reflect on their experiences and think about what they are good at doing, what they struggle with, and what they would like to improve. This can help teenagers gain valuable insights and guidance and develop a plan for putting their strengths and weaknesses into action.
2. Provide feedback and support: Parents can also provide feedback and support to their teenagers as they work to develop their strengths and address their weaknesses. This can involve providing constructive and objective feedback and helping teenagers understand the value and importance of their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Encourage balance and a growth mindset: Parents can also encourage their teenagers to have a balanced and growth-oriented approach to their strengths and weaknesses. This can involve encouraging teenagers to focus on developing their strengths, addressing their weaknesses, and seeking support and guidance.
4. Provide guidance and resources: Parents can also provide guidance and resources for their teenagers as they work to develop their strengths and address their weaknesses. This can involve helping teenagers set goals, providing access to resources such as books or online courses, and connecting them with mentors or other trusted adults who can provide support and guidance.
5. Provide examples and stories: Parents can also provide examples and stories to help teenagers understand the concept of strengths and weaknesses. This can involve sharing stories about their own experiences or providing examples of individuals who have used their strengths and overcome their weaknesses to achieve their goals.
6. Encourage action and evaluation: Finally, parents can encourage their teenagers to take action and evaluate their progress as they work to develop their strengths and address their weaknesses. This can involve encouraging teenagers to practice their skills, seek feedback and support, and adjust their plans to achieve their goals.

To help your teen to begin the process of self-awareness, you might want to share the following 100 potential strengths and weaknesses list that they most clearly identify with:

50 Strengths

1. Adaptability
2. Assertiveness
3. Attention to detail
4. Communication assertiveness
5. Communication skills
6. Compassion
7. Confidence
8. Conflict resolution
9. Courage
10. Creativity
11. Critical thinking
12. Decision-making
13. Emotional awareness
14. Emotional expression
15. Emotional intelligence
16. Emotional regulation
17. Empathy
18. Fairness
19. Flexibility
20. Forgiveness
21. Goal-setting
22. Gratitude
23. Grit
24. Honesty
25. Humility
26. Independence
27. Initiative
28. Interpersonal skills
29. Leadership
30. Loyalty
31. Open-mindedness
32. Organization
33. Patience
34. Perseverance
35. Problem-solving
36. Resilience
37. Resourcefulness
38. Respect
39. Responsibility
40. Self-acceptance
41. Self-awareness
42. Self-control
43. Self-discipline
44. Self-esteem
45. Self-improvement
46. Self-motivation
47. Teamwork
48. Time management
49. Tolerance
50. Trustworthiness

50 Weaknesses

1. Disorganization
2. Emotional instability
3. Impulsivity
4. Intolerance
5. Lack of adaptability
6. Lack of assertiveness
7. Lack of attention to detail
8. Lack of communication skills
9. Lack of compassion
10. Lack of confidence
11. Lack of conflict resolution
12. Lack of creativity
13. Lack of critical thinking
14. Lack of decision-making
15. Lack of discipline
16. Lack of emotional awareness
17. Lack of emotional expression
18. Lack of emotional intelligence
19. Lack of emotional regulation
20. Lack of empathy
21. Lack of fairness
22. Lack of flexibility
23. Lack of focus
24. Lack of forgiveness
25. Lack of goal-setting
26. Lack of honesty
27. Lack of humility
28. Lack of independence
29. Lack of initiative
30. Lack of interpersonal skills
31. Lack of leadership
32. Lack of loyalty
33. Lack of motivation
34. Lack of open-mindedness
35. Lack of patience
36. Lack of problem-solving
37. Lack of resilience
38. Lack of resourcefulness
39. Lack of respect
40. Lack of responsibility
41. Lack of self-acceptance
42. Lack of self-control
43. Lack of self-esteem
44. Lack of teamwork
45. Lack of time management
46. Lack of trustworthiness
47. Negative thinking
48. Perfectionism
49. Procrastination
50. Rigidity

It’s a long list, I know. I created it to help your teen brainstorm to identify their strengths and weaknesses. As mentioned above, please read my more comprehensive article “Strengths and Weaknesses – Help Your Teen Discover Theirs” to help them gain clarity on this important subject.