“Research suggests it is more beneficial to work on strengths than try to overcome weaknesses. The impact you will have on business results is more likely to be enhanced when you improve your strengths than when you try to improve in areas in which you have less inherent talent. You should try to find some way to manage your shortcomings in talent. For example, if you find that you are not talented in a particular area of expertise, you may be able to use the talents of someone on your team to make up for your lack of talent in this area. This does not mean that it is impossible to overcome weaknesses, or that you should never do so. In fact, many of the leadership characteristics represent behaviors that are largely a matter of the will. For example, you can, and usually should, decide to “establish breakthrough improvement as a business priority.” In other words, this characteristic is largely under your control. However, a characteristic that demands creativity is closer to a talent than a skill — something that is much more difficult for us to improve once we are an adult. It is especially important to build upon strengths when dealing with characteristics that represent talents. If certain competencies, or leadership characteristics, are vital to the successful accomplishment of your particular job, and if it is not possible to rely on others to fill those gaps, then, of course, you must either learn to perform effectively in those areas or seek another job.” (Company, 2004)
Just what research we are talking about here is never mentioned. I can’t find a relevant research paper pointing towards what they say here. There is one salient point here, they seem to be making a covert distinction between a skill and a talent – with a talent something that is so complex that it is next to impossible to learn, whereas a skill is something that can be developed by applying willpower. I have to disagree with the distinction of talent and skill as being separate tracks, as I believe that a talent is taking a skill into the “genius” level.
If I apply the rationale of diminishing returns to learning, it seems I should focus less on the skills I’m already good at, and most on the ones that I am worst at. I would say I need to find the situation and followers that allow me to unleash my talents in a focused manner, but at the same time find the discipline and willpower to work on areas that need improvement that may be contributing to derailment factors.
I previously identified my potentially worst two personality traits as Excitable and Leisurely. Their definitions follow:
“Excitable – Leaders with these tendencies have difficulties building teams because of their dramatic mood swings, emotional outbursts and inability to persist on projects.
Leisurely – These passive-aggressive leaders will only exert effort in the pursuit of their own agendas and will procrastinate or not follow-through with requests that are not in line with their agendas.” (Hughes, Ginnet, Curphy, 2006 pp 171).
Out of the definition of Excitable I feel the “inability to persist in projects” is my problem (no mood swings or emotional outbursts). Without the mood swings and emotional outbursts I am not sure this really qualifies as Excitable, but it all intersects with the segment on Leisurely where it says that I will not follow-though on requests that are not in line with my agenda. Now that I analyze this more in-depth I’m finding that Excitable is not an issue here, as my inability to persist in projects is not due to excitement, but rather due to a misalignment of these projects with my personal agenda. Thus I am concluding that I do not have a problem of a Dark Personality trait in Excitability, but concretely a problem in being Leisurely.
So here comes the big question? How do I solve this one? How do I become less Leisurely? What life experiences am I missing? Any training I could do?
Lets have a look at my own diagram of Logical Levels to figure out where the problem might be hiding and if I can rise one level above it to dissolve it.
Logical Levels – Diagram by Author, idea source unknown
If I think back to Logical Levels (Source unknown) for an answer on where to focus my energy in trying to improve, I am getting a clue of where the problem resides. I can barely see the problem, indirectly, so it must not be at the levels of Situations, Techniques, Skills, or Understanding, but one step higher. I can consciously see some of my values, and I can spot the beginnings of this right there, however this is likely rooted in some beliefs that I have which are shaping those values. I know what I need now. I need a role model. I need to gain exposure to an identity that embodies the opposite of leisurely and be able to think to myself “What would xxx do?”
I don’t think my current mentors at work fit this bill. I’m going to have to find someone else to model my behaviors after – someone that exudes the opposite of leisurely and uses that quality as the quality that makes them successful.
While I’m trying to find someone it would be beneficial to start working on my beliefs. This is as hard as it gets – this is what psychoanalysis is all about as I understand it – except I don’t have $20,000 dollars and five years to spare. I’ve been able to modify beliefs in the past with concerted hard work and focus. I will have to do just that, but focusing on this area to discover what my beliefs are, which ones are not useful anymore and then use some techniques to get rid of them. Writing about this is so much easier than doing, I’m getting some anxiety just thinking about it. I should probably review The Procrastinator’s Handbook (Rita Emmett, 2000) to give myself a boost before I attempt this. Then I will attempt to map out the beliefs in a list, then go though a few steps to try to disprove and reprogram the ones that are not helping.
So there’s the plan:
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Review Procrastinator’s Handbook (Rita Emmett, 2000)
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Define and write out what non-leisurely behavior is and how it manifests itself
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List beliefs associated to my purpose, my work, my future, other people
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Review list for limiting beliefs
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Craft a list of replacement beliefs to replace the limiting ones
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Review all the books in my library from Miguel Ruiz and especially Ray Dodd to refresh the practical belief-rewriting techniques in them.
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Take one week to work on one belief at a time, attempting to disprove, rewrite and establish the new one
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While this is going on
keep an open eye and search for a good role model that succeeds mainly by their non-leisurely behavior as defined by my own writing. Attempt to map and review their belief system.
