Using strengths to make work more sustainable
A reflective approach to strengths, energy, and values in real work
The pause that changed everything
I’m Sharon Quirk - welcome to Optimising Strengths.
In 2015, after many years working in human services, I reached a crossroads.
I hadn’t lost care for the work. I was depleted by the way my values, strengths, and working conditions no longer aligned.
At the time, I didn’t yet have language for this. I only knew that continuing in the same way would come at a cost.
That moment became a pause. And that pause changed the direction of my work.
The compass I didn’t know I needed
At this time I was introduced to Skills Discovery (formerly Strengths Profile). It helped me understand why being capable and committed didn’t always translate into work that could be sustained over time. For the first time, I started paying attention to energy as information. I began to notice where my strengths were enabling meaningful work, and where they were being stretched beyond what was sustainable.
I began to see that strengths aren’t fixed qualities, but capacities that shift depending on context. The strengths people are most valued for are often the ones called on repeatedly.
Over time, more and more responsibility can come to depend on the same strengths.
Image © Capp & Co Ltd 2026
I now use the tool as a reflective compass, helping professionals, leaders and organisations explore strengths, energy and patterns of use in the context of their work. I pay attention to how those patterns are shaped by the systems people work within.
When steadiness masks strain
As I began using strengths work across coaching, leadership development and training, I kept seeing something familiar. The people I worked with were often capable, dependable and carrying responsibility that had gradually accumulated over time.
On the surface, things looked steady. Underneath, energy was thinning. Many were still doing what they had long been praised for, what others depended on, and what they believed was theirs to carry.
And yet, there was less room to reflect. Less clarity about what still mattered. A growing sense of carrying more, with fewer places to put it down.
Noticing patterns that are easy to miss
Rather than focusing only on individuals, my work supports leaders, professionals and teams to notice what sustains them, what drains their energy, and how responsibility and effort are carried across roles and systems.
This means paying attention to who becomes the default carrier of difficult decisions and responsibility, and what that means for energy and judgement. I work this way because strengths can serve us differently as roles, demands and context change. What once worked well may need to be used in a different way.
This includes exploring how roles, expectations and working conditions shape which strengths are relied upon, and what that reliance may cost over time.
“Working with Sharon gave me a much clearer understanding of which strengths were supporting my leadership, and which I was overplaying at an energy cost. The process was both deeply affirming and practical. I left feeling more grounded, clearer, and better able to lead sustainably.”
- Cherice Jenner, Training Specialist
When people can see these patterns more clearly, they are better able to make deliberate choices about what they carry, what may need to shift, and what may need to be redistributed or redesigned.. Over time, this supports steadier energy, clearer judgement, and ways of working that can be sustained without ongoing personal cost.
A bit more about me
I live on Kaurna Country in Adelaide with my husband and our Golden Retriever.
My 25+ year career has spanned mental health, counselling, education, and consultancy, working alongside people in roles where responsibility, care, and complexity are part of everyday practice.
I hold degrees in psychology and social work, a Grad Dip in Positive Psychology, and remain deeply curious about what helps people sustain meaningful work over time.
Outside of work, I’m most grounded in nature and happiest mid-run or hike.
I look forward to connecting with you.
Warmly,
Sharon Quirk
Why this work matters
At the heart of my work is a deep respect for people who care about their work and the contribution they make. I understand the pressures that can arise when work matters, responsibility is carried seriously, and there is little space to pause, reflect, or restore energy over time.
I also know depletion need not be inevitable. Strengths work offers language for what is happening, permission to question what is being carried, and a way of working and leading that is more sustainable over time.
If this approach feels relevant to what you’re navigating, you can get in touch in whatever way feels most comfortable.
Whether you’re curious to learn more, have a question, or want to explore whether we’re a good fit, I’d be happy to hear from you.