The biggest threat to your success isn't your weaknesses. It's believing your strengths are enough on their own. Take the story of the monkey and the elephant as an example:
A monkey and an elephant lived in the same jungle and did everything together. One day they got into a heated argument over who contributed more. The monkey said speed and agility were what mattered. The elephant said strength was superior. Neither would budge.
So they went to the wise owl and asked him to settle it. The owl pointed to a fruit at the top of a tall tree on the other side of a deep, fast-moving river and said, bring that back to me and I'll give you your answer.
They tried individually. The monkey couldn't cross the river. The elephant crossed easily but couldn't reach the fruit. Neither could do it alone. So the elephant carried the monkey across the river. The monkey climbed the tree and picked the fruit. They brought it back together.
The owl looked at them and asked, "Which one of you brought me the fruit?"
They started arguing again. The owl stopped them. "The better question is, does it matter? Together you succeeded. Apart you failed. Your strengths aren't more important than each other's. They're most powerful when they're combined."
A successful marriage isn't built on one person's strengths. A winning team isn't built on one person's skills. The people around you have abilities you don't, and that's the point.
Stop thinking your strengths are the only ones that matter. The monkey needed the elephant, and the elephant needed the monkey. And chances are, you need someone too.
Stop thinking your strengths are the only ones that matter.
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Use Your Gifts,
John Eades
Creator, The Leadership Lens & The Optimistic Outlook