March 28, 2005
greatness
From the very early days of school, to the upper echelons of business, it’s always about focusing on improving our weak points. Rarely is it about celebrating that which makes us great.
Yes. I did say “Great”. Greatness exists in most of us. And a person who doesn’t believe that shouldn’t be in buisness.
If all you care about with your people is their weak spots, you will have a weak company. Forever. Lucky you.
Oops. Howard used the word “Greatness”.
We mustn’t have that. As soon as you start using words like that to talk about people– greatness, exceptional, remarkable etc– you start attracting the “Don’t-be-so-judgemental-what-might-be-great-to-you-might-not-be-so-great-to-somebody-else-because-everybody’s-special-even-if-society-doesn’t-value-them-in-monetary-terms” crowd.
I had a bit of a run-in with them last August. It still amuses me to think about it.
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Yay for the pervasiveness of the politically correct.
Reminds me of the so-called “gifted program” in my school district– near the end of my time in public education, they were forced to open the program (designed specifically for the smart kids to keep their minds occupied) to all comers. Simply because the parents of “mentally challenged” kids through the program discriminated against their impaired offspring “unfairly”.
Of course, this is the same school system that kept penalizing me for sucking at math, that confiscated my doodles done in said class, repeatedly cut funding for the arts, and that basically did everything they could to discourage the creative types from expressing their creativity. Funfun.
Hugh
I totally agree. With what you quoted here and with what you wrote back in August. I’ve always said, focus on improving your strong points, they’ll make you great, instead of bringing your weaknesses upto mediocrity.
Best,
Niti
Know your weaknesses, do domething aboout them if you can, but never advertise them. If somebody else doesn’t see them, no reason to point them out … concentrate on what you do well, and beat it up like crazy.
The real important part that stands out for me:
“Greatness exists in most of us. And a person who doesn’t believe that shouldn’t be in business.“
I’d say greatness exists in all of us. Kind of like the way treeness exists in an acorn. Perhaps every acorn doesn’t become a tree but the potential to grow is ALWAYS there. If you TRULY believe that of folks that you work with you will be surprised by how they rise to meet their potential.
Good thread. Like Evelyn, I think Howard’s post is generous and inclusive and I choose to put some faith in it, even if occasionally I feel less charitable towards the world.
Sometimes if we overdo the demand for excellence we risk overlooking the beauty of the ordinary. I see a lot of brands in a desperate effort to be “great” instead of being real.
In Improv, there’s a principle that suggests being average. Sometimes a clever one-liner kills a scene, where something simple allows the other players to build the scene.
I see a lot of people give cringe-making presentations becuase of some expectation they should be remarkable; when they just present themeselves it’s often more satsifying for all concerned.
Is it detrimental to advertise weaknesses? I make sure people understand my weaknesses so they don’t task me with something I’m going to do poorly. There are plenty of things I do not know, care to know, or care to master. It doesn’t necessarily come across as a weakness.
I’m against the overhead of maintaining a persona, as an individual. Of hiding weaknesses and trumpeting strengths.
I agree with Evelyn, Johnnie, silos about doing what you do best, without pretension. I’m bought into the notion that the market is smarter and faster than me anyway.
Dig the point about the clever one-liner that kills the scene.
silos, I equate your experience with those corporate performance reviews, where they *must* give you negative feedback, so you have something to improve. Your manager has to come up with an prolix insult and put it in writing.
Greatness starts at closing time. Right Honey. I love you you know. No really you’re beautiful.
Why am I lying on the floor? Who’s thrown up on me?
I am surrounded by greatness.
*passes out*
I went back and read your August 04 post, Hugh.
I find interesting how uncomfortable many people were with the strictness of your viewpoint. You advocate making a hard choice: Make up your mind what is great and go with that.
Most folks these days don’t want to do that. We want a fallback, a contingency, an excuse. We don’t want to make a mistake. We want someone else to define what we think is “great”.
Instead of taking what we can from ideas and applying them to our own lives, we niggle and complain. That’s telling. And a huge waste of time.
Also…
Are you moonlighting for Etrade Financial? Look at their latest tagline:
“Challenge the ordinary. Be Extraordinary.“
It’s a bummer when a powerful idea becomes a meaningless marketing slogan.
Evelyn,
“If you TRULY believe that of folks that you work with you will be surprised by how they rise to meet their potential”.
The only thing I would add is to start with yourself i.e. If you TRULY believe ‘that’ of yourself, you will be surprised how you rise to meet your potential. Then as you stretch out for your potential you naturally encourage others to do likewise. Now you have a really remarkable group.
I hate the politically correct notion that greatness exists in all of us.
It’s just not true. Not even close.
Some don’t have it.
Some do.
Some do but haven’t figured out how to tap into it yet.
I float between the bottom two, which sometimes disappoints me greatly.