One of the fundamental inputs of proficiency is that of leverage; using a weighted fashion to realizing what needs to be done with effectual utilization of what we already possess.“What are your strengths?" Is a customary job interrogate question and also one of the most difficult to devise the right answer to. Our personal brand converses our idiosyncratic assessment. Developing an individual brand is a modus operandi that takes time and necessitates investment. Our brand develops as we develop or refurbish self-awareness.
We have to know our artifact or product to impart its values. We should be the owner of an utter reliance in our aptitude to overwhelm any hardship that the world can hurl at. Organizations know that habitually their very endurance will depend on how well an individual deals with inexorable, unanticipated or unforeseen turnaround of providence. By capitalising on our strengths, we have latitude to augment gratification impulsion and widen our focal point to other vicinities that may need more attentiveness. When we spotlight on capitalising on our strengths we are most victorious. As a result, it is advisable to mull over our strengths as pre-subsisting boons.
Figure out your strengths:
In order to capitalise on our strengths, we first have to know what our strengths are and for the motive we are aiming to use them. We should also list all of our weaknesses (not surprisingly we all have weaknesses). Having acquaintance of our weaknesses can give more meaning to our strengths, but also gives us information on how to turn our weaknesses into added strengths. We then need to list all the opportunities that are out there for us, and list all the threats; things we feel may interfere with achieving our goals and objectives. The object then is to maximize our strengths and opportunities, while minimising our weaknesses and intimidations. Once we put all of this together, we will have a solid foundation from which to start the process of capitalising, not only our strengths, but also on the opportunities that are before us. If we figure out our strengths or potencies and take advantage of them, a pleasing life will follow. Strengths are simply a means to an end. Factual contentment comes from building our lives on our nucleus strengths, the ones we most enjoy using.
On the contrary few of us actually take time to uncover our most stupendous assets, our highest proficiencies, our core skills. We often discount the things we are best at because they come to us naturally. Assuming that everyone can what we can, we tend to underrate our instinctive talents. One good way is to take a moment to ask a series of open-ended questions to find our strengths such as, What do I love doing?, What am I often complimented for?, When am I happiest and most “in the moment”?,What makes me unique, in each area of life?, When have I welcomed and enjoyed the challenge of learning something new? etc. The answers to these questions will give us a good-quality idea of where our main strengths and passions lie. In addition, we have to try finishing these sentences: “I am really good at…”, “I find it easy to…”, “Faced with a challenge, the way I approach it is…”, “The talents that I use are…”etc. We can then concentrate our vigilance on the results, the core strengths that make us peerless and can assist us to attain enormous success and fulfillment.
Magnify your strengths:
After grasping our strengths, we have to make best use of them. We have to decide how each strength meets a specific need. Intellectuals call this naming features and benefits. People call this naming problems and solutions. Researchers and pundits have developed trustworthy appraisal tools to discover and maximize our specialties or fortes. Following are some of the well acknowledged and appreciated tactics to amplify our strengths:
a. Perseverance is vital. In reality, our persistence is our measure of belief in self and ability to succeed. When we build within our self this categorical guarantee, then virtually anything becomes viable for us. Our self-confidence goes through the roof. As Napoleon Hill wrote “Persistence is to the character of man, as carbon is to steel.”
b. Reality habit is healthy and nutritious. Jovial and triumphant people are powerfully realistic or practical. They do not allow themselves the lavishness of self-illusion. Therefore, we have to face the world as it is. We should accept the unalterable or irreversible data of life as given.
c. Capacity to function well in crisis is valuable. In military terminology, they call this being under fire. We should nurture this rarest form of courage which is the eventual measurement of the character of a human being.
d. Reversals of destiny should be managed shrewdly. We should learn to deal with adversity or misfortune and keep our chin up. Prosperous people deal with their problems (needless to say they have problems) in a more resourceful way than the average person. No one can give us a magic bullet to solve every problem we have or can have in our personal and professional life.
e. Learn to say NO. When possible, we should refuse to tasks those do not play to our strengths. Our weaknesses are somebody else’s talents.
f. We have to spend the majority of our time on crux strengths. We have to cultivate relationships with those who support us.
g. We have to overlook about the age-old wisdom, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” Actually, what we don’t know about our own learning-style strengths can hurt more. Although people can be productive in the wrong style (for them), they are significantly more so when they work with their learning style.
h. We must decide what we are going to do to be not only different, but also better than our competitors in the field. No one can be all things to all people. A “jack-of-all-trades” also is a “master of none.” Specialisation is the key.To develop strength in any activity requires spacialised talent.
i. We have to become a stronger leader by getting a better understanding of what are our strengths are. Once we know who we are not we can really thrive by focusing on who we are.
j. We must decide what we are going to do to be not only different, but also better than others. Remember, we have to be good in only one specific area to move ahead of the pack.
To conclude, strengths will fade with time if they are ignored. The more we choose to honor and develop our special gifts, the more we enhance every aspect of our own life as well as the lives of the people around us. When we can do that, we will be fully capitalising on our strengths. We will no longer need to verbalise our brand. We will excel only by maximising our strengths, never by fixing our weaknesses. Obviously, we cannot ignore our weaknesses. Instead we will find ways to manage around our weak areas. But we should not spend too much time and effort there. Regardless if we have all the money in the world or none at all, there is always way to change our situation for the better. However, we must be willing to capitalise on our strengths and market our talents. When we focus with the things we know we are good at, make the best out of it. Everybody has his/her own unique strengths. In order to understand our purpose in life, we need to understand and get the most out of our God given abilities.
SHIVANAND PANDIT, SENIOR FINANCE MANAGER,
MARPOL PRIVATE LIMITED, MARGAO-GOA-INDIA.
EMAIL: pandit_shivanand@rediffmail.com
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