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I wish it were different… but our brain automatically focuses on the negative.
It’s called Negativity Bias.
Even when you try to focus on getting better. You often think about your weaknesses first. If you improve your weaknesses… you’d become a better person,
have a better impact, and you’d be a better leader. Does this sound familiar? I used to think this way.
However, focusing on your weaknesses doesn’t actually get you as far as you’d think.
If you really want to increase your impact, you need to focus on your strengths.
You see, if you increase the impact on your weakness (say its impact is at a 4), you only get to a 5. But if you increase the impact on your strength
(say its impact is at a 10), your impact increases to an 11.
Now you’re operating at an 11… on a daily basis.
"Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses."
Focusing on increasing your strengths will help you 10x.
So how do you do that?
1. Know what your strengths are.
Figure them out if you don’t have a clear understanding. They’re easy to miss because it’s the things that come easy to you. You don’t notice them. But others do.
Ask around, and you’ll find them quickly.
2. Know the downfall of your strengths.
Every strength has an overuse. And so, what happens when you overuse your strength? What does too much look like?
3. Understand the impact and adjust.
Create a plan on how you’re going to tweak what you do. Try it out and get feedback. And you’ll see your strength become even stronger.
“Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.”
– Marilyn Vos Savant
