Tuesday 12th
December 2017
Morning Vibes With Dr. Jerry - the First
Hello and welcome to
#MorningVibesWithDrJerryTheFirst-Episode 99
Title: The
Power Of Weakness On The Path To Success!!
If you search Medium
for “making the most of weakness,” do you know how many articles pop up? Two. Surprising,
given the fact that most—no, all—of us are a mixed back of incredible strengths
and frustrating weaknesses. But in a culture that values purity, perfection,
beauty, wealth, and far too many impossible superlatives, you’d be hard-pressed
to find a loud voice confessing to
personal pitfalls. I’ve long loathed the culture of celebrity that hovers
around CEOs and corporate bigwigs in the U.S.—in large part because it cements
the absolute untruth that these men and women are infallible. They’re not. They,
like you and I, have had to overcome personal weakness and struggle to reach
some measure of success. Let me offer a few examples: Elon Musk shared in an
interview that as a child, he feared being alone and unloved. That fear carried
over into adulthood, rocking relationships and pushing him deeper into a
work-driven life. Steve Jobs was famously impatient and was often accused of
lacking empathy. He lost employees—and fresh innovation— because of it. Warren
Buffett has confessed to being slow and sloppy—keeping team members on staff
even when he knew they were hurting the company. Company growth slumped because
of it. But despite these drawbacks, Musk, Jobs, and Buffett are all considered
to be wildly successful—and not just because they rake in millions of dollars.
It’s because they’re committed to personal growth and overcoming weaknesses for
the benefit of their friends, their families, their companies, and themselves. Isn’t that the
most valuable lesson they can teach? Don't misunderstand me—advice on wealth
building and productivity are valuable—but must come along with a certain
measure of self-awareness that acknowledges weakness and strength. Being
successful is not about hiding or ignore weakness. It’s just the opposite—it’s
about acknowledging it in a way that is constructive. From an honest
self-confession comes the opportunity to build and grow. Adam Grant, a
professor at the Wharton School of Business at Harvard University, spelled this
out in the context of a job
interview: "By admitting your inadequacies, you show that you’re self-aware
enough to know your areas for improvement—and secure enough to be open about
them. [It shows] that you’re interested in being hired for what you actually
bring to the table, not what you pretend to bring." So how did the
"celebrity CEOs" I mentioned face their weaknesses? For Musk, the journey has required him to
acknowledge a traumatic childhood and how it now influences his personal
relationships—and the sometimes overbearing control of
his companies. (He's been accused at times of being too personally or
emotionally invested in Tesla.). For Jobs, the task demanded acceptance of his
own deficiencies with a commitment to being more empathetic and humble—not just
in an abstract way, but in concrete, daily rituals. One of his greatest
opportunities to do so came with the growth of Apple in the late ‘90s and early
2000s. Instead of controlling everything, he slowly began to turn management of
projects over to others, like long-sung design eye Jony Ive. And for
Buffett, the path to a stronger team started with listening to his
shareholders—as well as his vice chairman, Charlie Munger. His open confessions
during meetings spurred action, and a commitment from Buffett to be better
about personnel management. He did this so that the entire company might hold
him accountable. There’s no arguing that these men—and many other men and women
who have revolutionized industries across the globe—have invaluable insight
into best practices in company management, productivity, and wealth-building.
But each insight must be offered with three caveats: There are always
weaknesses to overcome before success hits. That takes time. And nobody’s
perfect. Not Elon Musk. Not Steve Jobs. Not Warren Buffett. If we continue to craft celebrity out of our CEOs,
then that celebrity should be as much in awe of weakness as it is of strength
and success. Peak productivity, massive revenue, explosive corporate growth,
and unimaginable innovation are all possible for us (just as they were for
Musk, Jobs, and Buffett)—but not without spending some time facing OUR
weaknesses. As best-selling author Aimee Cohen once wrote, “Don’t let a
weakness make you weak.” Instead, acknowledge it, make friends with it, and
turn it into a strength. Can you imagine what you might accomplish when you do?
Until I come your way
again, this is #MorningVibesWithDrJerryTheFirst
Keep it coming!!!
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