We all like to do what we’re good at. You have a set of strengths that you use over and over because these strengths have helped you achieve your goals in the past. It makes sense that you’ll continue to turn to what you’re good at – and what you’re comfortable with – when you need to get a job done.
For high achievers and leaders a strange thing can happen. Overuse of your strengths can actually become a weakness, making you less effective. I’m exploring this concept in my posts this week.
Recently, Wharton professor and author Adam Grant wrote a great piece as a Smarter Living column in the New York Times on this topic. I highly encourage you to read it.
The main idea in Grant’s article, and in the research this idea is based on, is that we need to know when to use our strengths and when to back away from them. By knowing when to turn to our strengths and when to use different strategies, we can be the most effective.
