Page 78 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

WHATAMIKNOWNFOR? (IDENTITY)

abundance thinking focuses us on what is available and pos-
sible. As leaders we want to focus employees’ attention on
the latter, including a focus on their own identities.
Self-awareness is capricious. At times we are very aware
of our flaws. When we look in the mirror, the zits or wrin-
kles jump out and overshadow our strong chin or fetching
eyes. Not only do we magnify our flaws; we also ignore the
strengths we have. Those with curly hair buy straightening
irons; those with straight hair get perms. We once asked a
group of young people to share what they saw as their physi-
cal flaws. One young man admitted sheepishly that his ears
stuck out, which really bothered him. No one else in the
group had ever noticed his ears sticking out. Even when
this “flaw” was called to their attention, it quickly fell to the
background when they interacted with him.
At other times we tend to flee from our flaws. Leadership
researchers find that most leaders are better at identifying
their strengths than their weaknesses. We run and hide
from things we do not do well, out of embarrassment or
uncertainty about how to change. Realism about both our
strengths and our weaknesses is essential to a strengths-based
identity. Great leaders build on their strengths but also bring
their weaknesses to at least neutral. They help employees
and companies to do the same.
Realism can hurt, but it also helps us invest our energy
where it has the best chance of paying off. When Dave was
younger, he liked basketball and played with enthusiasm. He
had a dream that one day he might play college or even pro
basketball. While this dream led him to hours of dedicated
practice, it also gave him false hope. He eventually realized
that he did not have the raw physical talent for professional
basketball. He could continue to find great fun in community

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