Weekly Business Insights from Top Ten Business Magazines | Week 291 | Leading And Managing | 1

Extractive summaries of and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Week 291 | April 7-13, 2023

Great Executives Play to Their Strengths. Here’s How to Find Yours

By Bruce Eckfeldt | Inc Magazine | April 9, 2023

Listen to the Extractive Summary of the Article

Just like a business need to find a unique position in the market by becoming exceptional at a few things, executives also need to focus on becoming uniquely skilled and experienced in a handful of skills to become world-class professionals.  But how do you pick?  Here are the three key questions the author suggested that can help the executives to understand the areas in which they should double down and focus.

1. What are you uniquely good at?  Start by figuring out what you’re currently good at. Not just OK, but really good. What can you do that not many other people can do well? Start with comparing yourself within your organization, but also think more broadly about your market and industry.  The best way to do this is to get feedback from managers and colleagues. You might think you’re terrible at something, but everyone else sees you as a rockstar. If you’re getting surprising feedback, get curious and ask why, and get details about what you do that people see as valuable.
2. What creates value for your organization?  It’s one thing to be really good at something, it’s another to create exceptional value. The key with this step is that other people need to see it as valuable, not just you. Go through the things you do on a weekly basis and have people highlight the top two to three activities that they feel lead to improved business performance and results.  Remember that value can be defined and identified in many ways including money, autonomy to the individuals and the activities that get a lot of recognition and rewards.
3. What puts you in flow?  Finally, once you’ve found things you’re good at and that drive value, look for the things that you are highly engaged in and motivated by. Focus on activities that naturally put you into a flow state.  Good indicators that you’re in flow include the feeling that time slows down or speeds up, that your focus becomes narrower and tighter, that you don’t have to think that hard about the work, that it seems to come naturally, and you’re feeling a sense of engagement and accomplishment.

As you develop your capabilities, keep watching general industry and market trends. Be mindful of how the value of different skills might change in the future.

3 key takeaways from the article

1. Just like a business need to find a unique position in the market by becoming exceptional at a few things, executives also need to focus on becoming uniquely skilled and experienced in a handful of skills to become world-class professionals.  
2. But how do you pick?  Three key questions can help the executives to understand the areas in which they should double down and focus: What are you uniquely good at?  What creates value for your organization?  And what puts you in flow?
3. Highly successful executives find ways to become uniquely valuable in their industries, and they learn to adapt to changing market needs quickly. Asking yourself the three questions above and focusing on the answers to guide your growth will be the difference between getting a 5 percent cost of living adjustment and getting that promotion you’ve been waiting for.

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Topics:  Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Personal Development