Strengths and Weaknesses - Setting the Debate
The debate
Tools like DiSC are useful tools for self-reflection and understanding team dynamics. We use these assessments all the time and stress that no personal style or personality is universally right or wrong and that there’s value in team diversity. This inevitably leads to a debate. Should you play to your strengths or work on your weaknesses? Contrary to recent opinions from some authors I like and respect, no matter what, construction leaders must do both.
Playing to your strengths
If you're naturally predisposed to an aspect of your job, you'll get a greater return on your time and energy investment by mastering that thing.
A leader who finds that building relationships is natural for him, for example, would be wise to lean into that strength and study the science of it to reach a level of mastery. He'll be able to use his natural gift to add immense value to his team and greatly advance his career.
Without a focused effort to reach mastery, though, his natural people skills will be useful but not a total game-changer.
Working on your weaknesses
Let's say the same construction leader is not naturally strong with numbers. He doesn't feel comfortable with finances and struggles to understand his WIP reports.
Even a master relationship builder cannot effectively mask his inability to understand critical business metrics and use them to manage projects. This weakness is not something that can be shrugged off...it's a liability. And it will hold him back from reaching his potential.
Finding the development balance
If you must both develop your strengths and address your weaknesses, how should you prioritize your limited education time accordingly?
Spend most of your time building on strengths. Mastery is rare and not attainable for you in every facet of your work. Work on your weaknesses only enough to ensure they are not liabilities for your team and career.
The picture accompanying this newsletter features the tallest and smallest men in the NBA back in the 1980s. The tall one, Manute Bol, had a rare level of mastery in blocking shots. It kept him in the league, despite very low scoring and passing numbers. The short one, Mugsy Bogues, was a master of passing and dribbling the ball, and he put up strong assist numbers throughout his career.
It wouldn’t have made any sense for Mugsy to practice shot-blocking all the time or for Manute to try to become an elite ball handler. That said, they did practice both skill sets periodically to maintain an acceptable level across the board.
Create a development plan for yourself accordingly, and please let us know if we can help.
The Spark Notes:
Focus on areas where you're naturally skilled, as honing these strengths can lead to mastery and significantly benefit your career. Just like a leader with innate people skills can become a master relationship builder, adding immense value to their team.
It's crucial to work on weaknesses that could become liabilities, such as a leader who struggles with financials. These areas cannot be ignored and require enough attention to prevent them from hindering your potential.
Prioritize your development time by mostly building on your strengths to achieve mastery, which is a rare feat. Simultaneously, ensure your weaknesses don't harm your team or career.
Take inspiration from NBA legends like Manute Bol and Mugsy Bogues, who focused on their unique strengths while maintaining competence in other areas. Develop a personal plan that mirrors this balanced approach to growth.
