In an effective team, every member of the team knows his strengths and weaknesses.
Background
In Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia stands the Virginia Washington Monument. The monument is flanked by the Virginia State Capitol, St. Paul’s Church, the Governor’s Mansion, and Old City Hall.  It was built in 1850s, and it was designed to honor Virginia’s Revolutionary War heroes.
When I first saw the monument, the guide described it in terms I shall never forget:
On top sat Washington, the sword of the revolution. Below, holding the Declaration of Independence, stands Jefferson, the pen of the revolution. Next to him, with his arms in the air, stands Patrick Henry, the voice of the revolution…
I was intrigued by the descriptions, but at the time I did not embrace the full significance of the different roles that these men played. Years later, I think I understand the significance.
Knowing Your Strengths & Weaknesses
Last night I was reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, and I was struck by a particular line. The author wrote about Jefferson’s reaction to hearing Henry speak:
To Jefferson, Henry was essentially a magician. “His eloquence was peculiar, if indeed it should be called for it was impressive eloquence, and sublime beyond what can be imagined,” Jefferson later said.
This from the same Jefferson who gave us the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
But again, this is the point. Jefferson admired Patrick Henry’s oratory because Jefferson was soft-spoken and even a bit shy. However, given time to plan his words on paper, Jefferson’s pen was second to none.
John Adams recognized this when he was assigned with Jefferson to the committee to draft the declaration. According to Adams’ recollection:
Mr. Jefferson came into Congress, in June, 1775, and brought with him a reputation for literature, science, and a happy talent for composition….The committee met, discussed the subject, and then appointed Mr. Jefferson and me to make the draft, I suppose because we were the two first on the list.
The sub-committee met. Jefferson proposed to me to make the draft. I said, “I will not.” “You should do it.” “Oh! no.” “Why will you not? You ought to do it.” “I will not.” “Why?” “Reasons enough.” “What can be your reasons?” “Reason first—You are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second—I am obnoxious, suspected and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third—You can write ten times better than I can.” “Well,” said Jefferson, “if you are decided, I will do as well as I can.” “Very well. When you have drawn it up, we will have a meeting.”
John Adams was also a force to be reckoned with, but he knew himself well enough to know that Jefferson was the better man to take the lead in this particular circumstance. And, this brings us back to the point—each man knew his strengths and used them appropriately.
21st Century Business Application
This is the core idea discussed in the writings of Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham, who once worked for the Gallup organization, made a career out of helping people identify their strengths. Buckingham wrote a number of books including First Break all the Rules, The One Thing You Need to Know, and Standout.
Buckingham’s premise is as simple as it is brilliant: Unless you know your strengths, you will never give your boss or your customers your best.
What are your strengths? If answer does not immediately roll off the tongue, read Buckingham’s books. The time you spend identifying your strengths will be well worth the time invested.
-Darin Gerdes, Ph.D.
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Dr. Gerdes is the Director of the MBA Program at Charleston Southern University. All ideas expressed on www.daringerdes.com are his own.
Note: If you purchase Standout, please be sure to purchase a new copy. The book comes with a strengths test and a code to take the test which may have been used in a used copy.
