Are you willing to say "yes" to your strengths?

What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths – and can call on the right strength at the right time.  ~Tom Rath

I'm a big proponent of strengths-based leadership, appreciative inquiry, positive organizational scholarship, etc.  All things that focus on leveraging what you're good at, what works.  Last week I was faced with a personal dilemma about my own strengths.

I decided to go through a selection process to possibly become a specific type of facilitator.  The sponsoring organization had an extensive selection process, which I respected.  I did my best to be very honest with all of the interview questions and wanted to take on this role only if it was a good fit.  I've done enough of these sorts of selection processes to typically know what they are looking for so I can fake it if I want to get selected.  But I only wanted to do this if I knew I'd enjoy it, and as I know, we all enjoy what we're naturally good at far more than what we have to force ourselves to do.

I completed several assessments and it was time for the interviewer to share the results with me.  She began with, "we have a few concerns."  At this point I was bracing to hear what weaknesses would make this role challenging for me.  The interviewer continued, "While this is very helpful in life, it might make this role difficult.  You are extremely patient."  I was so taken aback I actually laughed.  I was prepared to hear something that I "wasn’t," something that sounded like a weakness.  Instead I heard something I found positive and was pleased to learn.

The interviewer said this didn't take me out of the running but that I would need to decide if I could find a way to be impatient for at least the next six months.  They had determined that impatience is a necessary "strength" for this role.  (I had to put strength in quotes because I'm still struggling to view impatience from that perspective.)  I considered this for a couple of days.  I'll admit I've got an ego, some pride, and a streak of stubbornness that made me want to simply prove them wrong.  Once I took my ego and pride out of the equation, I asked myself why I would want to fight against my strengths for six months or even six days.  I decided to say "yes" to my strengths, and "no" to this possible opportunity.

I share this example because I see leaders attempting tasks or challenges in a way that they think a leader should do it, instead of doing it in a way that leverages their strengths. They like the idea of successfully accomplishing the task or challenge, especially as the leader, so they ignore their strengths and try to simply power through.

Peter Drucker said, "Most people think they know what they are good at.  They are usually wrong…And yet, a person can perform only from strength."  And Tom Rath (author of StrengthsFinder 2.0 and Wellbeing) said, "You cannot be anything you want to be – but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are."

Whenever we say "yes" to something that also means we’re saying "no" to something else.  Are you willing to say "yes" to your strengths?