A takeaway about strengths vs. shortcomings

Poet and writer Dorothy Parker, on being told she was very outspoken, replied, “Outspoken by whom?” Hell yes!!! Give us way, way, **way** more, not less, of your best stuff.  Would Parker have been a better writer, had more value-adding impact, if she dialed down her defining strengths? If she wrote more generic, forgettable, soul-depleting blathery blahblah? It’s unthinkable, it’s repellent, and we’d all be worse for it.

Leaders too often focus on shortcomings to “fix” more than strengths to enrich. 

Too much focus on comparative downside comes at the expense of not elevating your upside. 

You won’t fix all your shortcomings? Of course you won’t! Almost always, sooner or later, to lead is to piss people off, while inspiring others. That’s reality. That’s the story of any imperfectly good person trying to make things better. You’ll never make everyone happy by smothering your strengths. You’ll inspire nobody, and you’ll deplete yourself. That’s not what you’re on this earth to do. Minus doesn’t add. 

Don’t dial down your most energizing, generative qualities and characteristics. Do they sometimes miss the mark? Of course they do! But don’t make them lesser, make them better.

Are you “too outspoken?” Be even better at being outspoken! Be even sharper, clearer, more impactful, more inspiring, more captivating, more direct, more fluent, more on point, more engaging. More, more, more! And, if needed, **add** to that being better at listening too. Plus, plus, plus! 

No leader ever maxed out **all** relevant leadership skills. That’s impossible for any imperfect person, which is all of them, and each of us. 

Any leader sucks at lots of things. But rather than spending too much time and effort on those -- time & effort subtracted from growing & compounding their distinguishing strengths -- they surround themselves with people who are great at what they’re not. Plus again!!!! 

No leader ever optimized the perfect combination of…yekkkhhh!!!! I bored the crap out of myself trying to finish that sentence.  

Reduction isn’t development! 

Growth doesn’t subtract, it adds, and keeps adding.

Growth isn’t subtraction, it’s multiplication. 

Your defining strengths, like Dorothy Parker’s, like everyone’s, come from some unique mix of your particular abilities & inclinations & passions & possibilities that need to be discovered, nurtured, cultivated, tested, challenged, encouraged, and built with care over time. 

Your true strengths come straight from your soul. Don’t stifle your soul. Give us your best shot at what you're best at, and keep getting better at it. 

That’s the takeaway:  Subtract less minus, add more plus.