In the world of business, it’s easy to focus on weaknesses and focus less on strengths. But is that really the best way to go about things? We say no! Here are some ways we can turn our weaknesses into strengths:
Know what you’re good at.
Once you know what you are good at and what your strengths are, you need to be able to identify your weaknesses as well. Weaknesses can be broken down into three categories:
- Personal limitations
- Lack of knowledge/skills required for the job
- Other people’s perception of your weakness
Understand what you suck at.
Knowing your weaknesses is one of the most important parts of turning them into strengths. Know that you suck at something, then stop wasting time on it.
The next step is to use this information to find areas where you can improve. Maybe it’s a skill or a knowledge base that needs more work. Maybe it’s an attitude adjustment, or maybe it’s just a particular goal that needs to be set in place and accomplished over time. Whatever it is, the first thing we need to do is define what our current weaknesses are so we know what we’re working toward fixing them with our strengths!
Make no apologies for your weaknesses.
Whether you realize it or not, the way that you view yourself and your weaknesses plays a huge role in how much success you will have. If we don’t recognize our own weaknesses and make an effort to improve them, then we are ultimately taking a step backwards.
Being able to eradicate self-criticism is a difficult task but once achieved can be very rewarding. There are many ways to do this: meditation, therapy, journaling or even just talking with someone about what’s making us feel down may help us get past our issues faster than expected!
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
You may have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You might have to make mistakes, try something you’re not good at, or even fail a few times before succeeding. But if you want to achieve success in any area of your life—whether it’s work, relationships, health and fitness—you must be willing to go through the discomfort that comes along with growth and change.
To turn a weakness into a strength:
- Take risks—try something new or different from what you’ve been doing
- Be vulnerable—open up about your struggles and fears so people can help support you along the way
- Be wrong—failures are part of learning how things work; don’t let them discourage you from trying again
Ask for help.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
If you find yourself in a situation that seems impossible, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You may feel like asking for help makes you look weak, but it isn’t always true. In fact, sometimes asking someone else will make them appreciate your ability more and understand the hard work it takes to get there. Plus, if they see that they can guide you through something difficult and make it seem easy or simple by doing so, they will respect your strength even more because they know how much effort is necessary to accomplish what you do.*
Merge strengths with weaknesses to create new opportunities.
Like all things, there is a way to turn your weaknesses into strengths. You can employ your strengths to overcome weaknesses and vice versa.
Do you know what your strengths are? If so, what are they? Are they the same as someone else’s? How might those strengths be used in conjunction with other people’s weaknesses or vice versa?
For example, let’s say you have a hard time remembering names but are really good at networking. You could use your networking skills to meet new people and then ask them if they would introduce you to people who may have similar interests as yourself. This new network of friends would allow you access into an otherwise inaccessible group of individuals who might not notice or care about remembering names but could provide valuable insight into something that is important for YOU!
Embrace differences in others and see how they can complement your strengths and weaknesses.
- Embrace differences in others and see how they can complement your strengths and weaknesses.
- Learn from others when they have different strengths than you do.
Knowing what you’re not so good at gives you the power to turn it around, ask for assistance, or utilize others’ talents to offset your own shortcomings.
Knowing what you’re not so good at can give you the power to turn it around, ask for assistance and utilize others’ talents to offset your own shortcomings.
In summary:
- Knowing your weaknesses helps you improve.
- Knowing your weaknesses helps you ask for help.
- Knowing your weaknesses helps you use other people’s strengths.
- Knowing your weaknesses may even open up new opportunities!
By taking a proactive approach to your weaknesses, you can turn them into opportunities for growth and success. You’ll be able to ask for help when necessary and find people who complement your strengths and weaknesses so that together, you can all reach new heights. Hopefully reading this article has given some insight into how you can use your own personal shortcomings as fuel to propel yourself forward towards achieving greater things!
