Discover Your Best Self — Through the Eyes of Others

A research-backed exercise, for leaders, teams, and organizations, designed to reveal your impact strengths — the essential, effortless, energizing qualities that influence others.
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Developed at the University of Michigan

Developed at
University of Michigan
People experiencing the Reflected Best Self Exercise
"The RBSE was like going to my funeral, but I got to be there. I discovered strengths I didn't even know I had through the people who know me best."
— Graduate Student, University of Michigan

Developed at University of Michigan's Center for Positive Organizations

Grounded in 15+ years of organizational science research

The Research Behind RBSE

Developed at the University of Michigan's Center for Positive Organizations, the Reflected Best Self Exercise is grounded in the science of thriving organizations. This approach builds on a multidisciplinary view of leadership development, including the sociological idea of the "Looking Glass Self" — we understand ourselves largely through how others see us.

Building a Portfolio of Strengths

Human strengths fall in several categories and the RBSE fills a gap

1

Performance Strengths

Skills and talents measured by assessments like Gallup StrengthsFinder

2

Character Strengths

Cultural values like kindness, wisdom, and courage measured by the VIA Survey

RBSE Focus
3

Impact Strengths

How you naturally show up and influence others — often invisible to you but obvious to them. Cannot be captured by self-report assessments.

The RBSE focuses on Impact Strengths — the effortless, energizing, essential qualities that define who you are at your best. Unlike self-assessments, RBSE reveals strengths you can't see in yourself.

The Three E's: What Makes an Impact Strength

Research shows that true strengths share three defining characteristics that make them both powerful and often invisible to us.

Effortless

Natural to you — comes easily without much thought or investment of effort. You don't have to work hard to exercise these qualities.

Energizing

Fuel rather than drain you — using these strengths actually gives you energy and vitality instead of depleting you.

Essential

Core to who you are — these qualities feel fundamental to your identity and walk in the door with you no matter what.

The Core Challenge
The paradox: Because these strengths come so naturally, we often overlook or discount them — which is exactly why we often need others to help us see them clearly.

From Unconscious to Intentional

By becoming more cognizant of the small things that come easily and naturally to you, you can exert intention around them and use your strengths more deliberately. This conscious deployment amplifies their energizing and focusing effects.

Why Strengths Matter in a Problem-Saturated World

In fast-paced, time-pressured environments where we speak the language of problems all day, strengths can feel irrelevant. But research shows we need a different approach to thrive.

The Challenge We All Face

When you're constantly fixing problems and managing crises, focusing on strengths can feel like a luxury you can't afford. Your daily emotional diet becomes saturated with what's wrong, what's urgent, and what needs fixing.

3:1

The Positivity Ratio

Research reveals we naturally give three times more attention to problems than successes due to "negativity bias." To flourish, we need a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback — but most organizations fall far short.

6x

Engagement Impact

Gallup's research with hundreds of thousands of people found that those who get to use their strengths daily score 6 times higher on engagement and 18% higher on flourishing metrics.

Building Your Strengths Intelligence

Just as we develop emotional intelligence, we can build our strengths intelligence — the vocabulary and awareness to recognize, appreciate, and leverage what we and others do best. The RBSE is designed specifically to develop this critical capability.

Evidence-Based Impact

Research-Backed Benefits of Strengths Use

Enhanced Focus

Attentionally efficient — better concentration and detail focus

Stress Resilience

Better coping and more resilient responses to challenges

Work Meaning

Greater sense that your work matters beyond personal gain

How It Works

A simple, powerful process to discover your strengths through others' perspectives

Invite Others to Share Stories

Send invitations to colleagues, friends, and family who know you well. As storytellers, they'll share specific stories of when they've seen you at your best.

Collect Your Compilation of Stories

We gather all responses into your personalized Compilation of Stories — authentic narratives about moments when others have seen you at your best and most impactful.

Craft Your Best Self Portrait

Use your stories to identify patterns of you at your best and to create a portrait that reflects what others see in you that are likely to overlook.

Apply Your Impact Strengths

Use your newfound awareness of your essential, effortless, and energizing strengths to enhance your life, leadership, or learning — either independently or with a coach or facilitator.

Why It Matters

Hear from those who have experienced the transformative power of seeing themselves through others' eyes

"Most of the stories people shared were about little moments I had forgotten or didn't even think about. I saw how much it meant to other people, even though it wasn't in my line of sight."

Executive Leader

Discovering invisible impact through forgotten moments

"It was like going to my funeral, but I got to be there. I discovered strengths I didn't even know I had through the people who know me best."

Graduate Student

The rare experience of celebrating your best self

"The RBSE helped me recognize patterns in my leadership that I was completely blind to. It's changed how I approach my team and my career."

Team Manager

Seeing strengths invisible to self-assessment

"I've done many assessments, but none revealed things about myself that I couldn't see. The stories people shared will stay with me forever."

Healthcare Professional

Individual participant

"What comes easy to us, we overlook or discount. The RBSE showed me my impact strengths that were energizing me without even knowing it."

Executive Coach

Professional development

"This is such a rare experience — like graduations or weddings where people celebrate who you are. But this focused purely on my strengths and contributions."

Mid-career Professional

Personal growth journey

For Organizations - Strengthen Your Team

Easy Setup
Simple Management
Multiple Coordinators
Track Progress
Organizations using the Reflected Best Self Exercise

Transform your team, leadership development program, or educational curriculum with the power of strengths-based feedback.

Team Alignment

Build psychological safety and mutual appreciation by recognizing each team member's unique contributions.

Leadership Development

Help leaders discover their authentic leadership style and leverage their natural strengths.

Student Learning

Enhance self-awareness and professional identity formation in educational settings.

Easy Participant Management

Streamlined dashboard to manage participants, track progress, and coordinate exercises with bulk upload, automated reminders, and real-time analytics.

How Organizations Use RBSE

Leadership Development Programs

Corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions integrate RBSE for executive coaching and leadership training

Team Development Initiatives

HR departments and team leaders across all sectors use RBSE to build psychological safety and improve collaboration

Professional Identity & Career Development

Organizations help employees and members discover their strengths during onboarding, transitions, and career planning

Built for Organizations

Bulk Participant Management

Upload class rosters, create groups, and manage multiple cohorts from a single dashboard

Automated Communication

Send invitations, reminders, and follow-ups automatically - no manual email management required

Real-Time Progress Tracking

Monitor participation rates, story submissions, and completion status across all participants

Curriculum Integration

Downloadable facilitator guides, reflection prompts, and assignment templates for seamless course integration

For Individuals - Your Personal Growth Journey

Discover Hidden Strengths
Build Authentic Confidence
Navigate Life Transitions
Individual experiencing the Reflected Best Self Exercise

A Transformative Experience

The RBSE is an extraordinarily rare experience. In life, we almost never gather our social network to celebrate who we are at our best — this usually only happens at graduations, weddings, or funerals. The RBSE delivers a structured way to access this transformative social experience while you're alive to benefit from it.

Uncover strengths that are Effortless (natural to you),Energizing (fuel rather than drain you), and Essential (core to who you are) — but often invisible because they come so naturally. Develop genuine self-assurance and gain clarity during career changes, personal milestones, or when seeking new direction.

What You'll Gain From This Work

Increased Self-Awareness

Discover where and why you naturally thrive, backed by concrete examples from people who know you best

Strategic Leverage

Learn how to intentionally apply your strengths in new situations, roles, and challenges

Career Clarity

Make more confident decisions about opportunities that align with your natural strengths

Deeper Relationships

Strengthen connections with those who contributed, creating lasting bonds through shared appreciation

For Coaches and Consultants

Get Certified
Join Community
Deliver Workshops
Coaches using the Reflected Best Self Exercise

Become a Certified RBSE Facilitator

Join our community of certified facilitators who deliver transformative RBSE workshops and coaching experiences to individuals and organizations.

How to Get Certified

Complete a two-and-a-half-day Train-the-Trainer (TTT) certification workshop, delivered and managed by our partner EnlivenWork.

Who Can Be Certified

Corporate and non-profit leaders, human resource professionals, trainers, coaches, educators, and others who submit an application and are approved to participate.

What You Can Do Once Certified

Administer RBSE workshops and coaching to those who officially register via our website. We manage the data collection process and generate Best Self Reports, while you guide participants through the workshop or coaching experience.

Certification Program

Our comprehensive training equips you with the knowledge and skills to facilitate the RBSE effectively.

Partner Benefits

Enjoy exclusive resources, ongoing support, and a community of practice to enhance your coaching effectiveness.

Success Stories

Discover how coaches and consultants have successfully integrated the RBSE into their practice.

Ways to Experience the RBSE

Choose the path that best fits your needs and goals

Individual Experience
Self-guided through our digital platform

$75

  • Complete digital experience
  • Personalized invitation emails
  • Comprehensive Best Self Report
  • Guided reflection exercises
Organizations & Institutions
For corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions

Custom pricing

  • Corporate leadership development
  • Non-profit team building
  • Educational curriculum integration
  • Dedicated program support

Security, Simplicity, and Support

We've designed the RBSE experience to be secure, simple, and supportive

Data Privacy & Security

Your data and feedback are secure with enterprise-grade encryption. We've simplified account handling and privacy controls to give you peace of mind.

Responsive Support

Our team is ready to assist you at every step. For organizations and cohorts, we offer concierge support to ensure a smooth experience.

Continuous Improvement

We're constantly enhancing the RBSE with upcoming improvements to mobile access, non-English support, and multi-modal input options.

Ready to Discover Your Best Self?

Start your journey of self-discovery and transformation today.