Context Is My Superpower

Years ago, I took the CliftonStrengths assessment — twice, because I didn't believe the first result. Both times, my leading strength came back as "Context." I had no idea what to do with it. It didn't sound as flashy as "Strategic" or "Communication." It sounded like someone politely calling me nostalgic.

Then it clicked. People with Context are wired to look backward in order to move forward. We make better decisions when we understand how we got here — the history, the root cause, the story behind the data. We ask: "What led to this? Has this happened before? What context is missing?"

Suddenly, my two seemingly unrelated passions made perfect sense. My obsession with WWII pilot memoirs. My love for first-person history. My product-management instinct to understand existing systems before changing them. They're not separate interests — they're the same cognitive strength expressed in two domains.

I'm a storyteller because I'm a product manager with Context. I'm a strong product manager because I'm a storyteller with Context.