Embracing my Weaknesses - while still being true to my Strengths

Strengths Institute recently had a 5 Day Weakness Awareness Challenge with their Network of Strengths Coaches.  We do not believe you should ignore your Weaknesses!  You should rather embrace it in a confidently vulnerable attitute.  Learn from it....but don't try to make it a strength.Over 5 days, each participant took one of their lowest 5 Talent Themes (Non Patterns) and reflected on the impact it has on personal thoughts, emotions and behaviour - from a weakening perspective.The feedback was incredible!  We decided to post some of the experiences of the Coaches as Blog Posts.  Enjoy!






Liesel Teversham - Strengths Institute Accredited Strengths Coach

Weakness:  Communication

When I found this was in my draining talents, it was actually the biggest RELIEF for me. 

I've known for many years that loads of talking drains me and I always thought there was something wrong with me. I used to teach 2 and 3 day workshops (up until 3 years ago) and after those, I was simply exhausted for a week or more. I couldn't understand what was 'wrong' with me. I LOVED the subject matter, the teaching, I was GOOD at it.... Why didn't I feel energized??

Now, I can see how it's the verbal expression that's tiring for me. The teaching I'll always be great at, the subject I know inside out - and I've had to come to terms with the fact that to keep my energy at acceptable levels, I'll need to manage HOW I teach in a different way. 

I also need to be careful how I structure my week. For coaching clients, I've realised I can't have more than 2 per day. 3 sends me over that healthy tip - then I wake up tired the next day and it gets worse from there. 

I started a podcast about a year ago and I've tried video marketing. With both of them, I realised it's just not the most FUN marketing activity for me. In fact, I start dreading it. I have to think very, very carefully about what I want to say beforehand. I have to do so much preparation that takes up way too much time. And I worry that I'm going to forget what I wanted to say. I'm NOT good thinking on my feet when I need to reply or do a talk 'on the spot'. 

I wish this one was a bit higher up in my list.  There's a lot more exploration for me to do here. I want to find the 'sweet spot' of how much verbal communicatiogn is good for me, and how far I can 'push' this one. 

I just hate that feeling of exhaustion after 2 days of talking and thinking about how to say things.

(And as you can see by the long post, WRITTEN expression is a different story. That energizes me like few other things.)

Weakness:  Significance  

Part of me just wants to keep this short and simply say
"I DETEST THE SPOTLIGHT!"

But I'll say a few more words. The writer in me can't resist.

I've worked on this thing for years with my tools and I'm so much better than I can remember myself as a child. To this day, when we have to go around the room and introduce ourselves in any environment, my heart starts beating like a train on a track when it gets to 2 or 3 away from me. 

I CAN look calm, I CAN say thank you nicely to acknowledgement of something I did that put me center stage... and boy, I don't enjoy it. When I published my first book in 2013 and I had a book launch in CT, I didn't enjoy all the fuss being made of me. Yes, it was a significant accomplishment for me. And I felt seriously proud. But I didn't need or want all that fuss from others. 

Center stage is not my spot. And I know I've judged people in the past because I thought they seemed arrogant or egotistical - I didn't understand this talent at the time. It always amazes me when people LOVE the attention and come alive when they're in the spotlight. 

It's just so not what I want. I cringe, blush, fiddle and can't wait to go back to my quiet space of observing. 

Hehe. How remarkably different we all are.

Weakness:  Includer

I had the biggest insight about something that I've been struggling with, and it came on the right day (Includer awareness) - while I was preparing for a talk about Strengths I'm doing next week for a small group in the US.

I've never had a need to be Included in everything. Peer pressure never did it's thing on me, even as a teenager. I didn't care whether I was included in parties and the 'cool' kids. And I often feel like I keep myself apart from people. It bugs me in a way because I feel like I don't belong, and yet I realise it's ME that's excluding myself. 

But the insight I had just now sheds some light on where it's a DRAINING talent for me. 

I've had some clients recently that had me feeling EXTRA drained. Communication at 30 means I have to be careful with how many appointments I can schedule on a day. And I thought that was the only thing that caused my tiredness. But..... here's the next piece. 

I often have an internal struggle between Empathy/Connectedness/Individualization on the one hand, and Includer on the other. Those first talents prod me to include EVERYONE in the work I do, especially those who struggle with emotional things. I want to help them all! 

But... the Includer finds it draining to include everyone! And the clients I've been working with recently are not my absolute favourite clients, truthfully. I feel BAD and guilty to admit this - and that's Empathy and Individualization talking, NOT Includer. 

But I suddenly realized now with a sigh of relief that perhaps it's BECAUSE I've tried to Include even non-ideal clients, that it's draining for me. 

Boy. I have a lot to sit with and process now. It's a fabulous insight for me.

Weakness:  Command

Oooh this one has always frightened me with my Harmony at #4.

I have huge resistance to 'take charge'. I remember one time on a week-long workshop, each person in a 10-member team had a chance to 'take charge' of the meal preparation (for the rest of the participants). I knew my time was coming and I thought I had it handled. 

But when push came to shove, and the whole team looked at me for 'instructions' on who had to do what, I promptly burst into tears and crumbled. Phew. Embarrassing, to say the least. 

I'd much rather let someone else call the shots, I'll happily follow instructions and decisions. As long as I don't have to make them - especially FOR other people. Or tell them what I think they should do. I run for the hills. 

Also, I used to be really frightened of people with this 'presence'. I'm not anymore - but I'm still not all that comfortable. And I feel (with my Empathy) sometimes that they discount me because I just cannot push back, I'd rather agree. I really don't enjoy that feeling of being 'discounted' and yet in a way it doesn't bother me. If I had Includer higher, it probably would. 

I am working a couple of hours a week at the moment for an IT company and I suspect the CEO has some 'Command' in him. I know I NEED to give him at least a little pushback... and sheeez it's tough for me. I can FEEL him not respecting me if I'm too meek. 

I really resist this talent.

Weakness:  Activator

Sighing deeply about this one... I never realised (until I started seeing this pattern a couple months ago) how often I say in my head "I'll do it later / just now."

Big problem. Later often doesn't arrive.

I was in this exact situation again yesterday... Over a couple of days or 2 weeks I receive a few requests for help/support/work/ participating in something. I think "I'll think about it and decide later."

And then all of a sudden (well, haha) it's built up to a pile of decisions I need to make, I feel overwhelmed and unable to think clearly. Anxiety about everything I need to deal with then.... 

My Intellection at 5 has a huge impact here - it needs time to process and think before deciding or doing. They fuel each other unfortunately.

I have a good friend with Activator in his T5. I once told him my thought process of "I'll do it later." He burst out laughing and said that never, ever, ever crosses his mind. We have fun with each other now around this.

I find it soooo hard to get up early or starting projects. When I've started I can finish, no problem (with Achiever at 10). But boy, the starting energy is EVER so low. 

Liesel Teversham is an accredited Strengths Coach with the Strengths Institute South Africa.

liesel@clearspace.za.net