Build on Your Strengths to Strengthen Others

On October 08, 2020, I was a speaker for a ‘Virtual Global Thought Leader Symposium’ on the topic ‘Is Serving Others Essential?’ I had the privilege to be a speaker along with other eminent international speakers including Dave Ulrich and Chester Elton. During the conversation, Dave Ulrich said, “Build on your strengths to strengthen others.”  I was impressed with his sage advice to the audiences. Here are my ideas and insights on this topic.

When you want to serve others, you must list your strengths and explore options to strengthen others. It is a fact that you cannot serve others unless you strengthen yourself.

List your personal, professional, and social strengths. Identify the ways and means to utilize those strengths to strengthen others. Dave Ulrich advises, “If you are to remain the “leaders and best,” your next decade is less about what choices you have and more about the commitments you make by responding to three questions: 1. What do I want? 2. Who do I help? 3. How do I build?” He offers answers to these questions as follows: 1. Know yourself, 2. Give yourself, and 3. Leverage yourself. He revealed, “Sometimes brilliant leaders lack interpersonal savvy.  They are lollipop leaders who have a great brain, but no heart. They have not recognized that learning to work with others is a foundation for both personal happiness and professional success.  They need to use their strengths to strengthen others.  Research has shown that people who care about people are 60% more likely to be promoted.  Economist Arthur Brooks also found that those who gave more and served more made more money not less.  Those who gave to charity are 43% happier than those who do not give.  Volunteering and helping others gives you emotional, physical, and economic well-being.” So, serve others selflessly to lead your life with purpose and meaning.

You are a Gem

“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” —Anne Sweeney

People often search for stone by leaving gems at home. They must identify their inner potential through psychometric tools, or from their teachers, or parents, or relatives to leverage it effectively. When you look at the Nobel Laureates, they became successful because their talents were identified by their teachers in their early stages of life. They worked hard in those areas consistently and persistently and bagged Nobel Prize. Therefore, discover the diamond in you to achieve success and add value to others to build a better world.