⛺️Use the right strength at the right time.
[Founder's Note: The research team at ARC (a.k.a. Lost and Found) follows a deeply structured approach to uncovering patterns within any system. It takes multiple FGDs, interviews, surveys, and a fair bit of intuition to say anything with real confidence.
So while I've tried to slip in an insight in this newsletter casually, it actually comes from digging through the trenches.
This piece was originally written on 4th September 2024 for ARC's Leadership Campfire.]
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— Adi Raheja
Illustrated by Nidhi Mittal (Our in-house Visual Designer)
Use the right strength at the right time.
A common pattern was spotted in this organisation we worked with. They were a bunch of passionate individuals who were driven innately to work harder for the larger vision. They accomplished every single task, sometimes even going out of their way to do so.
In the last few years, this quality had turned into a strength for the entire organisation; they worked late hours and stretched their limits to get work done.
But, it didn't take time before the fire subsided. Employees complained about not having enough time off, and their work-life balance suffered, which, in turn, affected their performance.
(Before you think that this is yet another write-up that is promoting work-life balance, it isn’t.)
After further inquiry, it emerged that the organisation was misusing their biggest strength, which was resulting in a lack of planning and foresight from the managers, resulting in burnout and decreased effectiveness.
An overuse of a particular strength led to the downfall of the other
Strengths are like muscles: If you focus only on your triceps, your biceps will suffer.
If working hard is your strength, then it is important to also check what is that you are working hard on.
If you are good at making quick decisions, then also step back and see if there are people who are just depending on you to make decisions on their behalf.
If you are naturally assertive as a person, watch out for times when others hold back their opinions because of that.
As leaders, it’s our responsibility to recognise not just our own strengths, but also those of our teams. Consider the long-term impact of you flexing your strength.
Summing this up with a quote by Adam Grant:
Confidence comes from recognising your strengths. But true power depends on knowing when and how to use those strengths.
