Should I develop my strengths and outsource my weaknesses or work on both? Someone asked me while I was on a podium delivering a talk about packaging passion with purpose.
I thought it was a vital question many of us probably get wrong, which stops us from moving forward with our goals
Here is an example – a lady called Lola is very disorganised but great with people. She is very talented, but due to her disorganised nature, she is forever falling short of maximising her true potential in her business. What should Lola do? Should she work on her strengths alone and outsource her weaknesses?
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor at University College London, said “even the smartest, brightest, and most brilliant individuals have a dark side. They have certain elements of their personality, of their typical behaviours, that is quite counterproductive. And if those tendencies are left unchecked, no matter how smart, competent, and talented they are, their careers at risk of derailing.”
In simple terms, if you focus on your strengths alone, your weaknesses if left unchecked may sabotage your efforts.
For example, a great tennis player cannot win a match on his serve alone, he must develop other skills required to win matches.
Some argue that if you develop your strength in isolation to other factors, it could become a weakness. A lot of negative factors can set in such as pride, short temper, lack of patience, greed and many more.
How are you doing?
Now the question as pertains to you is, what personality trait is stopping you from maximising the potential of your passion.
Is it an overemphasised strength or a stubborn weakness?
What can I do to be better?
The key is to find the right balance. Work on your strengths, develop them and let them help you ascend the pinnacles of success you desire.
At the same time watch out for those weaknesses – mostly personality traits that people have been telling you about for a while. It could be as simple as impatience or talking too loudly.
Here are three things you should do you help you find the balance
Be self-aware – identify the negative personality traits in your life. Ask family, friends or colleagues what you need to do better and make it happen.
Set goals – target certain behaviour patterns you will like to change to be more effective in your current or future role. Set a definite goal with a timeframe to change them. For example – develop patience by allowing others to talk and listen actively.
Work hard – persistence, determination, drive and resilience all come together to help you achieve the goal of a better you. A better version of yourself is likely to achieve your passion and life goals.
These steps will surely help you find the right balance so you can successfully package and amplify your passion and grow exponentially just as you deserve.