Note from Deb:

I invite you to join my complimentary webinar this Thursday, October 9th at 8pm ET / 7 pm CT where we’ll talk about how you can use your strengths to get a leading edge in your business and career. I will stay on the call until all your questions are addressed, so put me to the test.

I have coffee…and I am ready!

But before then, let’s talk about WHY YOU MUST LEAD WITH YOUR STRENGTHS.

WHY
Good answers come from asking WHY. If you look at things from the surface, you get one perspective. But when you start digging into the WHY, you get a much deeper perspective. I especially enjoy this aspect of coaching clients – because if we address enough of the “why’s”, we get to the core of who they are and what they can do. It’s a special joy to see their “light bulb moments.” Once you find your why, it acts as a gauge against which you can measure any future opportunity to know if it fits you.

YOU
The fascination of working with people is that each person is uniquely gifted with strengths, talents, and life experiences. Just as we have unique fingerprints, we each also have unique life prints. The fact is, there is only one you.

MUST
You have this combination that is uniquely you, and the fact is, you MUST find a way to use those strengths, talents, and life experiences to serve. Now that doesn’t mean you will – there are many who do not. But there will always be a compulsion to do so. You can spend your life trying not to use them (it seems easier to just settle), but the fact is, you fill more peace and fulfillment in using your strengths than in trying to ignore them.

LEAD
If you are an introvert (C- or S-wired), you’re probably disagreeing here, thinking you are followers and not leaders. I’m here to tell you that though we extroverts (D- and I-wired people) find it easier to lead, we certainly can’t lead in the same areas as you. For example, I would not do well leading an SAP implementation from the accounting perspective. I don’t have enough patience for that level of complex analytics and, frankly, it would be disastrous. But I do have a great deal of ability to find people who COULD lead that project and get them in the position to do so. I guarantee if you are working in your strengths, there is a place where you will be needed to lead.

WITH
“With” implies working in conjunction with someone or something. So if you know your strengths and work WITH them, this gives you added leverage. Think about it. You have less of a learning curve in the area of your strengths, and you have added motivation because you’re doing something you love that comes naturally to you. If you work WITH your strengths, they will bring you to the forefront in the area of work best suited to you. In fact, if people come to you for something specific, it’s a very good indicator that it is an area of strength for you. Hmmm…this might explain why no one comes to me for help with spreadsheets!

YOUR
Here’s a profound statement…are you ready? You can’t lead with someone else’s strengths. We’ve all tried this one – we frustrate ourselves and get ourselves into all kinds of predicaments simply because we’re trying to be someone else. Know your strengths and be YOU. Businesses are filled with people frustrated in their work. Why? It’s because they are not working in a position that fits them. Find what fits and pursue it with passion.

STRENGTHS
While we’ve been talking about strengths throughout this article, we have not actually defined them. Strengths are the areas in which you are strong, which according to the dictionary makes you able to withstand great force or pressure and have the power to move heavy weights or perform demanding tasks. This is why one person may loathe a certain job and find it nearly impossible and exhausting while another would call it a dream job. It’s why one person can come in and immediately deal with a crisis situation, while another would have no idea where to start. Knowing your strengths helps you determine what work fits you, what clients fit your business, how to communicate with others, and how to determine which opportunities to say “yes” to and which you should decline.

This is WHY YOU MUST LEAD WITH YOUR STRENGTHS. Now the big question…ARE YOU?

Join me on the call Thursday, and let’s talk about your strengths…because one of my biggest strengths is helping YOU find yours.