Have you ever tried to remove a nut or bolt with pliers and it doesn’t budge, but when you use a wrench and get some leverage suddenly it is easy to move? That lever is such a clever tool – it’s very handy and very simple. Using the right tool often is.
Leverage is defined as a rigid bar that pivots about one point and is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third point. So how do we apply this to achieve a competitive advantage? How do we leverage our key skills?
PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS!
(BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT
THEY ARE…)
Most people don’t leverage their own skillset but instead use just a fraction of what they have within themselves, or never attempt to improve these skills or build new ones.
The first step is to take inventory of your assets. This doesn’t mean to list out your home, car, checking account balance… this means to list out your knowledge, your skills and your experience. I’d advise you to ask others around you to help in the creation of this list- family, trusted friends and business associates can all be great sources of objective feedback and often see things in us that we ourselves are blind to see or that are obscured by our inability to self-assess accurately.
I often work with clients who struggle with this exercise, so here’s another way that seems to be easier for some. Start with a list of your accomplishments, what you’re most proud of. Then, for each of those, write down a skill or talent that you leveraged to achieve that accomplishment or goal. There will almost always be a connection- very few achieve success by luck alone, and if they do, it’s not sustainable. So find your connection to your wins and write them down. Perhaps keep them on a notecard, post-it, in a journal…somewhere where you are reminded of the natural gifts you have, as well as those you’ve worked to attain and strengthen. Refer to them often when problem-solving, starting a new project, or maybe when you’re looking for relaxation- a new hobby or pastime. Most importantly, understand the tools you have in your toolbox and leverage them for your best outcome!
Next, explore how to get the full advantage of your asset inventory. If you own a computer or smartphone, you are frequently prompted to upgrade an application or program. There is new information available that will make your computer or phone work better (well one hopes, not always the case!). When was the last time you updated or upgraded your knowledge base? What was the last book, course, lecture or program you engaged in?
So now you have an inventory and you know what needs to be upgraded. These are your key skills and strengths that you can now improve upon. You may ask why you should focus on your strengths and those assets that are already developed. Why not focus on weaker skillsets? This is where you need to understand that the highest yield and the most efficiency comes from developing strengths rather than improving upon weaknesses. Leave your weaknesses for someone else who exhibits those as strengths. This allows you to leverage your key skills and will help you improve upon areas where you show the most potential.
“It is far more lucrative and fun to leverage your strengths instead of attempting to fix all the chinks in your armor. The choice is between multiplication of results using strengths, or incremental improvement fixing weaknesses that will, at best, become mediocre. Focus on better use of your best weapons instead of constant repair.” ~ Tim Ferriss
If you’d like to know more about how I can help to support you and/or your teams in a way that makes a MASSIVE difference in your results, please contact me to book a Strategy Consultation at Deb’s Calendar.
