WORK FROM YOUR STRENGTHS, LEAD OTHERS DO THE SAME. REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS

When ever I watch a try out for  my favorite talent based reality shows, there are always some who should sing only in the shower, dance only in the dark, or hide under a bushel basket.  One of the things I rant against is the idea that all it takes to succeed in the world of your dreams is to keep trying.  So not true–success requires knowing your strengths and talents, remembering what matters, and a great deal of luck. You control at least two ingredients.

Here  is a great article that reaffirms my faith in the idea that parents and teachers and preachers have much to learn from the business world AND that the business world is learning much from parents, teachers, and preachers.

Build Your Personal Value Proposition – Bill Barnett – Harvard Business Review.

Essentially the article preaches finding two things in order to make it in the business world.  What you are good at and what you love most.  It did not explicitly suggest remembering what matters, but the gentelman described clearly enjoyed building on other’s strengths and wouldn’t work with “sleases.”

Your Personal Value Porposition is the new fancier term for your Mission.  Mission means  life plan and is best thought about as  how you want to be remembered.  To me Steve Jobs and Michael Jackson will be remembered for their products, but that memory is blighted for me by tragedy in both men.  Michael’s life shows the tragedy clearest–trying to be what he wasn’t (white) and trying to live the childhood he never had.  The tragedy of Job’s life is his compulsion for perfectionism and his not caring who he hurt or damaged to enforce his belief about what was perfect.  To me he was a Belief Bully.

I think Michael was the better man.  Any who read my ramblings knows I believe What Matters is practicing  kindness and treating all as you want to be treated.  If all would embrace that belief and try to live according to it we would not need outside help from whatever force exists outside of us to bring peace on earth.

So I wish that aspect of power leading had been emphasized, but so hope all will support strengths and talents as well as passions and do so remembering what matters.

STAYING STRONG TIP: Take the time to write a mission statement.  At my workshops I suggest starting that exercise by writing your own eulogy, what you want said about you at your funeral and then trying to be that person.  Not easy, but forces you to think about what matters as well as to think about your mission.

Share, care, and stay strong.

Remember the more you push the  like button or share a comment here or on facebook the more I am strengthened and hopefully other’s also.   Doing so is a quick and easy way to practice kindness.