Lessons In Playing to Your Strengths
Soccer has shaped my life in a number of ways. I don’t play anymore—at least not for now—but I learned many lessons from my years of competing.
One of those lessons came in the form of some direct feedback, probably around the age of 15. At the time, I was in pursuit of achieving my dream of playing Division 1 college soccer. I remember, in the middle of practice, my coach came over to me and said: Kim, your left foot is terrible! (And actually, more biting words were used.)
The takeaway from him: You need to do all you can to improve your right foot. Don’t waste time focusing on your weakness, and instead focus on improving your strengths.
The pure honesty of the comment might have stung when I heard it. But my coach - who I deeply respected - was right, and I needed to hear it. At this point, it was pretty clear that my left foot was never going to be “great” no matter the effort I put in. It was time to focus my energy on my strengths to take me to the next level.
Reflecting on this experience, I can’t help but draw parallels to the business world. In business, we have to challenge the conventional focus on fixing perceived “weaknesses” in ourselves and in our people.
Quite often, we’re much better off investing in strengths to help people reach their potential. Author John Maxwell has described it like this: you don’t want to major in minor things as a leader. He says: “Work on your weaknesses, and you’re still going to be average. Say I’m a ‘4’ in something, and if I work on it, I might be able to get it to a ‘6.’” He continues: “If I’m already a ‘7,’ I can get up to a ‘9’—now that’s what sets us apart,” he explains.
Maxwell's strategy—invest 70% in our strengths, 25% in exploring new areas of growth, and 5% in addressing weaknesses—resonates with me. It's not about neglecting our areas for improvement, it’s about optimizing the strengths we have. Embracing this philosophy means recognizing our individual limitations, but also taking the time to assemble a team with collective strengths that can work together. It's about strategic focus and clear vision—qualities that transform a good team into a great one.
All in all, my journey from the soccer field to the business world has taught me that focusing on our strengths, supported by a team that fills in the gaps where needed, isn't just a strategy, it's a blueprint for a winning team.
