Finding the Strength in Your Weaknesses

How our biggest weaknesses also our biggest strengths

Stubborn. Detail-oriented. Over-achiever. Shy. Impatient. Loud. Hyperactive. These terms are usually deemed “weaknesses” that people bring up in job interviews or to explain behaviors in the workplace and life. We might hear these words from people we work and associate with when they are trying to figure us out.

But what if these weaknesses aren’t actually weaknesses? What if they are the exact features that make us unique and valuable? What if they are our biggest strengths?

“The Freak Factor,” created by David Rendall, invites business leaders to take another look at what they’ve always viewed as weaknesses, both in themselves and in the people they work with. It’s all about permitting yourself to be yourself and doing the same with others. Only then can you build the business you really want, backed by a set of unique values that no one else has.

Embrace authenticity and stop trying to fix people

When someone in your life is aggravating you, it’s easy to point out their flaws and how they could do better. This is when we start to pick apart their weaknesses, focusing solely on the negative of those traits. But doing this doesn’t really help anyone. The person on the other end probably feels like a failure or that something is wrong with them.

In a business setting, forcing someone to try to change usually only makes things worse. They may feel disconnected from their job or unmotivated. They may feel like it doesn’t really matter what they do since they have this major flaw.