Now, I think it's important for us to spend time sharpening our skills. Let's get that out there first. Whenever I've set goals in the past, I generally have focused on taking something that's weak and making it a strength. It wasn't until recently that I've started to understand the potential benefit of focusing on improving your strengths.
First, I was talking with a mentor and explaining to him that I felt I wasn't having the impact I wanted to have in certain aspects of my life. He suggested that I don't worry about my weaknesses, but rather focus on my strengths. I am a good listener. I care about people. I have good technical knowledge. As I focus on utilizing these strengths, it will naturally enhance my weaknesses - like fear of being seen as incompetent or incapable. If I listen and use my technical knowledge, there shouldn't be very many times where I come off as incompetent or incapable.
Secondly, I'm currently reading "Primal Leadership" by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, and on pg. 144 it says:
"Recent studies of people who have improved their emotional intelligence reveal several key points about what works and what doesn't... the findings include the following: Goals should build on one's strengths, not on one's weaknesses."Lastly, that comic strip above shows up in my RSS feed this morning.
I get it, I get it - it must be important, right? What are your thoughts? Should we focus on our strengths or our weaknesses?
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