Imagine walking into your workday with a clear sense of purpose, feeling energized by collaboration, and confident in your ability to guide others. Sounds ideal, right? It’s more achievable than you might think, and it all starts with knowing your strengths at work.

Whether you're managing a team, navigating high-stakes projects, or simply striving to bring your best self to work, boosting efficiency isn’t just about skills or time management hacks. Research reveals that your character strengths—yes, those often-overlooked qualities like perseverance, teamwork, and leadership—can be powerful catalysts for real, measurable improvements in work performance.

Focusing on these traits enables employees to nurture a more effective, productive workflow. In fact, one study found that character strengths predict job performance even more effectively than intelligence or personality traits, such as extraversion or conscientiousness (Harzer, Bezuglova, & Weber, 2021).

So, let’s explore the top 3 ways to improve work performance using evidence-backed character strengths, and discover how you can apply workplace strengths in ways that make a meaningful impact without burning out or compromising your authenticity.

1. Cultivate Grit with Perseverance

What It Is:

Perseverance isn’t just grinding through spreadsheets at midnight or toughing out long meetings. It’s the internal engine that fuels goal-directed effort over time, especially when things get hard. It's about staying the course even when motivation dips or outcomes lag behind expectations.

Why It Matters:

According to studies (Harzer & Ruch, 2014; Littman-Ovadia & Lavy, 2016), perseverance is a top character strength linked to high job performance. It helps professionals move through setbacks, adapt to change, and maintain progress even when results aren't immediate.

And here’s the kicker: this kind of grit isn’t fixed. You can intentionally strengthen it.

How to Apply It:

• Break big goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This rewires your brain for progress and motivation.
• Reflect on your “why” as it fosters a motivation-centric process. When your effort is linked to a deeper purpose, whether it's professional growth or making a difference, it’s easier to keep showing up.
• Celebrate resilience. Each time you bounce back, note it. Create a “resilience resume” that captures moments where you persisted, even when it wasn’t easy. Reflecting on your progress and pinpointing areas for improvement is crucial.

Sample Scenario:

Consider Maya, a project manager at a fast-growing tech company. Halfway through a high-stakes project launch, her team faced a productivity wall: technical bugs, timeline delays, and conflicting stakeholder feedback. Instead of retreating or blaming others, Maya stayed solution-focused and resilient. She rallied her team daily with humor, empathy, and vision. The launch ended up delayed by only one week, and it exceeded user engagement expectations. This is one of the top 3 ways to improve work performance. It shows how inner resolve translates into outer results. When employees focus on developing their personal qualities, their work performance naturally improves.

VIA Tools to Try:

For individuals ready to boost their grit, VIA’s Workplaces at Their Best Learning Path includes exercises for practicing perseverance effectively in professional settings without becoming a productivity robot.

2. Amplify Success with Teamwork

What It Is:

Teamwork is more than “playing nice” or attending Zoom happy hours. It’s the strength of loyalty, collaboration, and pulling together toward a common goal. When you utilize your teamwork strength, you feel genuinely invested in the success of your colleagues, not just your KPIs.

Why It Matters:

Research shows that teamwork is a significant predictor of job performance, particularly in roles that depend on interpersonal interaction and interdependent tasks (Harzer & Ruch, 2014; Littman-Ovadia & Lavy, 2016). When people trust one another and feel psychologically safe, innovation and productivity skyrocket.

High-functioning teams thrive on shared responsibility, emotional attunement, and mutual support. These qualities start with individuals choosing to embrace teamwork as a personal strength.

How to Apply It:

• Actively uplift others. Shout out a teammate’s win in a meeting or Slack channel. This cultivates a culture of appreciation.
• Make room for diverse ideas. Invite perspectives from quieter team members or cross-functional peers to strengthen problem-solving.
• Build connection rituals. Even small habits like 10-minute Monday check-ins can strengthen team cohesion.

Sample Scenario:

Jamal, a marketing strategist, was brought into a new cross-functional task force with five departments and a fast-approaching deadline. Instead of focusing solely on his deliverables, he made it a point to connect with people, clarify expectations, and ensure that everyone felt heard. His efforts led to more fluid collaboration, fewer missed handoffs, and a stronger final campaign. His choice to embody teamwork helped the whole project level up.

VIA Tools to Try:

VIA’s Workplaces at Their Best (WATB) courses and certifications include resources to help leaders and individuals infuse teamwork into culture and performance strategies.

3. Guide from Any Chair with Leadership

What It Is:

Leadership as a character strength isn’t tied to your job title. It's about organizing group activities and inspiring others to do their best. At its best, this strength blends vision with empathy and confidence with humility.

Why It Matters:

Research continues to highlight leadership as one of the top 3 ways to improve work performance. Not only does it enhance individual impact, but it also supports better group decision-making and morale (Harzer, Mubashar, & Dubreuil, 2017). People who activate this strength tend to inspire accountability, clarity, and trust in others, even if they aren’t the ones calling the shots.

How to Apply It:

• Actions speak volumes, so model the way. Start with personal integrity and clear communication, then work on developing the top 3 leadership strengths.
• Empower others by inviting input and sharing credit. Offer stretch opportunities for team members to go beyond their goals.
• Stay emotionally attuned. Leadership isn’t about commanding but connecting with people.

Sample Scenario:

Talia, a junior analyst, wasn’t managing anyone, but she stepped up when her team’s senior lead unexpectedly went on leave. She initiated planning meetings, clarified project goals, and made space for feedback. Her calm presence and clarity kept the team aligned and moving forward. Her leadership wasn’t positional; it was character-based.

As one of the top 3 ways to improve work performance, this example underscores how leadership at any level can elevate results.

VIA Tools to Try:

Want to lead with greater impact—no matter your title? The Total 24 Report is a great place to start, helping you uncover and apply your unique strengths with confidence. Use it to lead from who you are and inspire others more effectively

Bonus Tips to Elevate Your Team’s Performance

While character strengths like perseverance, teamwork, and leadership offer a powerful foundation, there are everyday habits and mindset shifts that can further support your team’s ability to thrive. Here are a few practical, science-aligned ways to support work performance without pushing harder, but by aligning smarter.

1. Reclaim Focus with Intentional Breaks

In a world of buzzing notifications, uninterrupted focus feels like a luxury. So, incorporating short, mindful breaks throughout the day can reboot mental clarity, boost creativity, and stave off burnout.

Letting go of the myth of multitasking is also important. When we give our full attention to one task at a time, not only do we work more efficiently, but we create space for a state of flow. That sweet, focused state where time blurs and progress feels effortless is more accessible than you think.

Try experimenting with focused work blocks followed by meaningful pauses: a quick stretch, a breath of fresh air, or even a moment of gratitude can shift your mental gear into higher performance.

2. Prioritize Clear and Courageous Communication

Effective communication is about building understanding, trust, and connection. When team members feel heard and safe to speak openly, they’re more likely to collaborate, innovate, and solve problems together.

Practicing the strength of social intelligence means tuning into the emotions, energy, and needs of those around you. It means pausing to listen, asking clarifying questions, and creating space for different voices to be heard. These moments, though small, have ripple effects that uplift entire teams.

When leaders and colleagues model clear, empathetic communication, it cultivates a culture where performance isn’t forced but inspired.

3. Nurture Growth Through Lifelong Learning

When we see learning not as a checkbox but as a lifelong mindset, curiosity becomes a compass for growth. Whether it’s attending a workshop, joining a mentorship circle, or diving into a new skillset, committing to continual learning sharpens your capabilities and expands your potential. It’s also a strong way to model the character strength of love of learning—a strength that fuels resilience and adaptability across roles.

The more you stretch your perspective, the more confident and competent you feel tackling challenges, and that’s the sweet spot where personal fulfillment and performance meet.

Wrapping It Up: Performance Starts with Strength

If you're searching for sustainable, science-backed strategies to get ahead at work without sacrificing your soul or sanity, then look inward.

The three ways to improve work performance—cultivating perseverance, leaning into teamwork, and embodying leadership—aren’t just buzzwords or feel-good fluff. They’re evidence-based character strengths that deeply influence how we work, connect, and grow. According to Harzer, Bezuglova, and Weber (2021), these character traits predict workplace success beyond IQ or personality profiles.

More importantly, they’re entirely within your control to strengthen. You don’t have to change who you are. You just have to rediscover and refine what’s already within.

You can explore how to apply workplace strengths to your day-to-day with VIA’s science-backed tools and team solutions for building strengths in the workplace. Let’s move past hustle and into harmony. Your next level of performance is already in you. Let us help it rise.