The business press enjoy creating mythic heroes of industry and we enjoy it, too. To a point.
As much as we like a business visionary like, say, Steve Jobs, we are not Steve Jobs, and never could be. Nor should we. All leaders have their own unique talents, which they will use in different ways to bring out the best in themselves and others. Here are 5 ways to discover your own strongest qualities and put them to work in business and in life.
1.Don’t compare yourself with others. However, do approach people who inspire, and even intimidate, you. Are there people in your life who wow or even intimidate you? Are you jealous of them? Go up and introduce yourself, allow yourself to be a part of their lives, and even offerto contribute to their milieu if you are so inclined. If they have a quality you are motivated by, perhaps you have not given yourself permission to explore and develop those sides of yourself? Consider aligning yourself with people you feel competitive toward – it’s a new world and we have much to learn from each other.
2.Don’t concentrate on weaknesses, do concentrate on strengths. First, find out what your strengths are. Go online and take a DISC test, a Wealth Dynamics test, or buy the Gallup Strengths Finder 2.0 book.There are even more robust ways to discover your unique talents, abilities, and ways of thinking by talking though as part of a coaching session. Or try the mall and see what works. Self-understanding and self-support is key.
Working on one’s weaknesses only brings misery and self-doubt. Concentrating on your strengths brings a better sense of fulfilment and forward progress.
3.Eliminate your weaknesses by partnering with others.AlbertEinstein was initially a failure who leaned heavily on his wife. Many now believe she ultimately helped him devise his famous equation. Let’s be honest:He was a dreamer with his head in the clouds. He came to success in round about ways. His wife kept her head on straight and together they accomplished greatness. That is the value of having a partner and team, varieties of perspectives, talents, and skills to get the job done. How is your team both within and outside your organisation?
4.Use failure as motivation. Things aren’t always going to go your way, no matter how well you and your teams properly align with your goals. Sometimes we need a good kick to get us going. Sometimes we need the pain of failure to reset, revise, and reassess. Are you taking risks? Are you failing? Winston Churchill failed massively more than once, and was famously cast to the political “wilderness” and then came roaring back as one of Britain’s greatest prime ministers. Steve Jobs was fired from the company he founded but through persistence ultimately came back to save it from extinction. Each of them, in their own way, failed, learned from their mistakes, and most importantly, persisted in the face of failure.
5.Now is a time of pop-up engagement, leadership, and success. Innovation demands the work of flexible teams who cooperate, co-lead, and co-create. Steve Jobs was a hierarchical leader ina time of radical shift from singular creative to co-creative. Over time, he learned what he was best at and how to use his skills, talents, teams, and life lessons to contribute in the best way he knew how. As a hierarchical leader, he succeeded in providing the tools you and I now use in this co-creative environment. Who would have thought it possible? We believe he did, and that he did not do it alone
