It’s always hard for me to take credit for things that come easy. I spent more than 20 years in marketing, and some of my best ideas are the ones that didn’t take much time or energy and felt natural.
Growing up, life was all about hard work. My parents were hard workers, and so were theirs. I was taught that hard work was good work. You can imagine why it was difficult to accept compliments, pats on the back and thank yous for some of the things that are just, well, easy.
Have you ever taken one of those personality tests? My teenage son informed me that one of these tests revealed that he was “left-brained.” It reminded me of a career test I took at his age. The results told me I’d best be suited as a professional truck driver. My son got a kick out of this because not only am I a mediocre driver but also he knows mom as a corporate executive turned business owner who works behind a desk most days.
Don’t get me wrong. I view truck drivers as highly skilled essential workers and have nothing but respect for the profession. It just wasn’t the path I chose.
In the corporate world, I was fortunate to take a few assessments that helped me identify my true strengths. One in particular stressed that while you might be really good and successful at your particular job, you may not be leaning into your natural-born strengths and abilities. For instance, I always considered myself creative and thought that’s why I was good at marketing. Although true, the assessment showed I’m also naturally quite social. It made a lot of sense because I loved helping people as much as I loved my work.
When I started my executive coaching business, it was after so many people told me I gave the best advice. Humbly, I like to think I’m great at helping others find the answers within themselves. That just comes really easy to me! It got me thinking, could I start a business doing this? That seems too easy!
Spoiler alert: The business took off. And it was easy! Not without some challenges, but by leaning into my natural strengths, I feel fulfilled. I help others and feel accomplished at the end of the day. Here are some tips on leaning into your natural strengths.
Believe in compliments: Take a minute to reflect on things your friends and family say you’re really good at. People see things about us that we often don’t see in ourselves.
Easy is OK: Give yourself credit for all of your wins — big, small and especially the easy ones! What comes easy to you may be hard for others.
Be uniquely you: We live in a comparison culture with social media in our face 24/7. It’s easy to think, I should be more like that person. But the world doesn’t need more of them. The world needs more of you!
Jen Adams is a holistic leadership expert who works with sales and marketing executives across many industries. Her mission is to help others lead with more purpose and seize opportunities in life and business. She lives in Timarron with her son Vaughn and partner Mike.
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