Using Strengths for Success

ADHD is deeply misunderstood. Most people think it’s just “being easily distracted.” But ADHD is a complex neurological condition—and it comes with strengths most people never talk about. Here are 8 truths about ADHD everyone should know: 1. It’s not a lack of attention—it’s a dysregulation of it. People with ADHD can hyperfocus for hours on what they love—and totally ignore everything else. It’s not about laziness, it’s about control. 2. It’s not just a childhood thing. ADHD often continues into adulthood. The symptoms just shift: → Less bouncing off the walls → More mental chaos, disorganization, and overwhelm Many adults live undiagnosed for years. 3. ADHD brains are wired for novelty and stimulation. Routine can feel unbearable—but these brains thrive in: → High-pressure environments → Creative problem solving → Fast feedback loops In the right setting, ADHD becomes a superpower. 4. Rejection Sensitivity is real. ADHD often includes RSD—Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Criticism or perceived failure can feel crushing. It’s emotional pain that gets misdiagnosed as mood disorders. 5. Many ADHDers are natural entrepreneurs. They’re: → Big-picture thinkers → Risk-takers → Unafraid of uncertainty They struggle with rigid systems—but thrive when creating their own. 6. Executive function is the real challenge. ADHD affects the brain’s ability to: → Plan → Prioritize → Start/finish tasks It’s not about intelligence—it’s about activation. 7. Movement helps focus. → Pacing → Fidgeting → Walking while thinking These aren’t distractions—they’re coping tools. Even cardio can boost focus and mood. 8. Structure = freedom. Yes, really. → Lists → Calendars → Visual reminders These tools reduce overwhelm and build momentum. Structure doesn’t box ADHDers in—it frees them. 🧠 ADHD isn’t a flaw. It’s a different operating system. Understand it. Support it. Harness it. Embrace it. Use it. Just do it! #ADHD #neurodivergent #knowyourmind

Talent matters, but it’s not the only thing. And it’s often not even the main thing. Angela Duckworth’s research shows there’s a stronger predictor of success: Grit. So what is grit? It’s the combination of passion and perseverance. Grit is what keeps you going after the excitement fades. It’s what pushes you to finish what you start. And it can be learned. Duckworth breaks grit into 4 elements: 1. Deep interest – You love what you do. 2. Deliberate practice – You work hard and smart to improve. 3. Purpose – You believe your work serves something bigger. 4. Resilient hope – You don’t give up when things get hard. Why it matters: In study after study—from cadets at West Point to finalists in spelling bees—grit outperformed raw talent. It wasn’t IQ or natural ability that made the difference. It was sticking with it. And here’s the good news: Grit isn’t fixed. It’s a skill. It can be strengthened. And we can help others grow it too—through challenge, support, and meaning. The takeaway: Don’t just ask, “Am I good at this?” Ask: “Do I care enough to keep going?” “Am I willing to get better?” “Can I stay hopeful when it gets hard?” That’s grit. And that’s what leads to mastery.

There was a time I thought I had to armor up with a hard, “masculine” persona to be taken seriously in leadership... I believed showing strength meant burying vulnerability, stifling intuition, and pushing aside what made me human. But instead of making me a stronger leader, it made me feel hollow and disconnected, from my team and from myself 😔 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. Many leaders feel this pressure to squeeze themselves into a narrow mold, stoic, detached, always “on.” 🔴 But true leadership really 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸. ➡️ It’s about showing up fully, strengths, scars, compassion, grit, and all. When I stopped trying to lead from a script and started leading from a place of authenticity, things started to shift a lot in my personal and professional life. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻. By embracing all of it, I gave myself 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 to lead in a way that felt real, aligned... and my team felt it too 💯 It allowed them to do the same for themselves 🙏 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁. ➡Trust fuels innovation. When people see you embracing all parts of yourself, they feel empowered to bring their whole selves too. The best teams don’t need leaders who “play the part.” 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆. 🔸 For those feeling the weight of expectations, maybe thinking you need to suppress parts of yourself to fit a role or be accepted, trust me: you don’t. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵. 🔺 You can lead powerfully by being who you are, not by cutting parts of yourself away. It’s not about changing who you are to fit into a rigid definition of leadershi but rather 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 by showing up fully as your unique self.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. Have you ever wondered whether to focus on improving your weaknesses or leveraging your strengths? It's a common dilemma many of us face in our personal and professional lives. Remember, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀, 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. If you continue to focus on your weaknesses and how they are your roadblocks in achieving your goals, your energy will be expended in only working on your weaknesses and in the process ignoring or not leveraging your strengths. It is a famous saying, "𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀." Imagine if Sachin Tendulkar was asked to work on his singing skills or if Lata Mangeshkar was told to learn dancing. The world might have missed out on their extraordinary talents! Most of my clients ask how they can discover and work on their strengths? Here’s what I say: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 '𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻' 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀: Others often see talents in us that we overlook. 2️⃣ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀: Your skill in one area might transfer unexpectedly to another. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀' 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀: Learn how they maximized their talents. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 '𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀': Combine two or more of your strengths for unique outcomes. 5️⃣ 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀: This deepens your understanding and mastery. While it's important to be well-rounded, true excellence often comes from honing our natural talents. By focusing on your strengths, you're more likely to find flow, enjoyment, and exceptional results in your work. This doesn't mean ignoring weaknesses entirely. Instead, find ways to manage or compensate for them while investing most of your energy in areas where you shine. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿. Embrace it, develop it, and watch how it transforms your life and career. If you could wave a magic wand and instantly master one of your existing strengths, which would it be, and how would it change your life's trajectory? Do-Follow Deepa Chandrasekaran, Career Acceleration Expert I help corporate leaders navigate their career challenges to build purposeful and thriving careers! DM me for 1:1 coaching, consultations, and corporate workshops. #coach #growth #career

“Let’s celebrate our differences!” — easy to say when you’ve never actually had to WORK through real differences. Here’s the thing: Real differences don’t feel like a celebration. They feel messy, uncomfortable, even threatening. 🧠 Our brains are hardwired to detect difference as potential danger. When someone thinks, works, or communicates differently than we do, our first instinct isn’t to embrace it—it’s to resist it. Recently, I worked with a team trapped in conflict for years. The problem wasn’t competence or commitment. It was cognitive diversity they didn’t know how to handle. 👉 One part of the team was task-focused—eager to get to the point and skip the relational aspects of collaboration. 👉 The other part was relationship-driven—prioritizing emotional connection and dialogue before diving into action. Celebrate their differences? Not likely. 🚫 The task-focused group saw the others as emotionally needy attention-seekers. 🚫 The relationship-driven group saw their counterparts as cold and disengaged. So, what changed everything? Not a shallow celebration of their diversity, but finding their common ground. 🚀 I used my D.U.N.R. Team Methodology to transform their conflict into collaboration: 1️⃣ D – Diversity: we explored their differences without judgment and recognized the strengths in both approaches. 2️⃣ U – Unity: we found their shared purpose—every one of them cared deeply about the team’s success, just in different ways. 3️⃣ N – Norms: we co-created practical norms that guided their interactions and set clear expectations. 4️⃣ R – Rituals: we introduced rituals to honor both styles while reducing friction and fostering collaboration. The real breakthrough? Not pretending their differences were easy, but building bridges through shared values. My honest take: If you’ve truly worked through real differences, you know it’s not about celebrating them—it’s about navigating them with care and intentionality. 💡 Celebrate your common ground first.  That’s how you unlock the power of team diversity. What’s your experience with managing real differences on a team? 🔔 Follow me for more insights on inclusive, high-performing teams. ___________________________________________________ 🌟 If you're new here, hi! :) I’m Susanna. I help companies build an inclusive culture with high-performing and psychologically safe teams.

40% of CEOs are introverts. They're running trillion dollar companies like Google, Microsoft, and Berkshire Hathaway. Yet most leadership advice assumes you need to be the loudest voice in the room. The world's best CEOs aren't performing. They're processing. While others rush to speak, introverted leaders: → Use more prefrontal cortex (better long-term decisions) → Listen 80% of the time (3x more engaged teams) → Sustain deep focus for hours (4x productivity gains) I've coached hundreds of CEOs. The quiet ones consistently outperform. Not despite their introversion. Because of it. What society often says are leadership "weaknesses" are actually strategic advantages: That need for alone time?  ↳ It's when you solve complex problems others miss Your preference for writing? ↳ Creates clarity that prevents million-dollar mistakes Your small inner circle? ↳ Builds trust that shallow networkers never achieve Your tendency to over-prepare? ↳ Wins before you walk in the room The Quiet CEO Playbook: 1. Stop apologizing for thinking time  - Block 2-4 hours daily for deep work  - Your best ideas come in silence 2. Lead through writing first  - Send pre-meeting thoughts  - Let ideas marinate before discussing 3. Build your energy budget  - Know exactly what drains you  - Protect your recharge time fiercely 4. Create listening systems  - 1-on-1s over group meetings  - Anonymous feedback channels 5. Prepare like your advantage depends on it  - Because it does  - Information asymmetry is power The business world rewards the wrong things. Quick answers over right answers. Volume over value. Presence over impact. But markets don't care about personality types. They care about results. And introverts deliver results through: → Deeper thinking → Better listening   → Calmer decisions → Stronger focus You don't need to become an extrovert to succeed. Your quiet nature isn't a bug. It's a feature. The world has enough loud leaders. What it needs is more leaders who think before they speak. Who listen before they act. Who build before they boast. If that's you... Own it. P.S. Want a PDF of my Why Introverts Make Powerful CEOs cheat sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dNhDkyaJ ♻️ Repost to inspire a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more leadership insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Our next cohort of the CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 30+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/duZeBbEf

Early in my fighter pilot career, I thought success meant never showing weakness. I put on a brave face, never asked for help, and struggled silently with my insecurities. The result? My performance plateaued. I was so focused on maintaining this "perfect" image that I couldn't fully engage with learning and growing. Everything changed when I made a conscious decision to be authentic. I started admitting when I didn't understand something. I asked for help. I opened up about my challenges. Surprisingly, this vulnerability didn't make me appear weak. Instead, it allowed me to learn faster, build stronger relationships, and ultimately become a better pilot. Elevating your potential starts with accepting who you are. It starts with being authentic. And believe me - authenticity isn't just about being true to yourself. It's a performance enhancer. ✌️ Have you experienced anything similar? ✨ Grab my free guide on Embracing Authenticity here: https://lnkd.in/gJcpQTf7 ------------------------ Hi, I'm Michelle. I'm a former fighter pilot turned speaker, author, and coach. If you found this helpful, consider reposting ♻️ and follow me for more content like this.

Ready to find your next role? You don't need to apply everywhere. You most likely won't succeed. Not even if you are in the first 100 applicants. It's 2025 and job search strategies are different now. Before going crazy with "East Apply" and getting ready to be ghosted do this: Make a list of ↳ Your biggest achievements ↳ Core skills & competencies ↳ Tasks that drain your energy ↳ Work that makes you feel excited ↳ Your career goals Because - You need to understand your value - You need to know what you are good at - You need to be clear on your areas for growth - You need to know what won't work for you - You need to sell yourself, but not overpromise Then ↳ Research roles that match your list ↳ Focus on open roles aligned with your goals & strengths ↳ Connect with people at those companies ↳ Build relationships: chat, engage with them content, share useful articles What happens after - They see you as a strong potential for openings - They could connect you to their network - They would refer you for open roles they see - You might be offered roles / opportunities you did not know you wanted Remember 🤞 Your network grows when you're intentional. 🤞 The right roles appear when you're clear. 🤞 Your success starts when you know how to talk about your worth. Don't rush. Easy Apply might feel convenient — but it rarely works for most candidates. Instead: Take time to align with yourself. Understand what you want — and what the market offers. ✋ Don't act out of fear. ✋ Don't panic. 💥 Act with strategy. 💥 Be intentional. You've got this. Go build your future.

My best salesperson was struggling because she was selling so much and could not keep up with the paperwork. She sucks at the latter, but paperwork made sure there was follow-through for customers and payments are collected. Conventional wisdom suggests weaknesses offer growth opportunities. But instead of coaching her to eliminate the weakness, I hired an administrator to do the admin stuff. Why? Don’t ask a monkey to swim when they are at their best, swinging in the trees. For her, admin work is demotivating. She dislikes it, and it distracts her from perfecting what she likes best- sell! When we leverage our strengths, it feels natural. Marcus Buckingham advises employees to identify and cultivate their natural skills and advantages. “If you want to win, if you want to excel, if you want to stand out, you’re going to have to take the few unique things about you that are beautiful and powerful, and take them seriously, and turn them into contributions.” Here are some ways to operationalise Buckingham's advice. 1. Use self-reflection and feedback to identify your strengths. Then name them, and find ways to leverage these optimally for others and for yourself. 2. Learn from people who are great at leveraging their strengths. 3. Find ways of applying and adapting your strengths to new situations and in different circumstances. 4. Manage your weaknesses by eliminating them, and if not possible, minimising their impact so they are not derailers. # 4 resonates with me. A LinkedIn friend, Andy, messaged me about an error on my LinkedIn profile. It was a highly visible mistake, but I missed it! I told Andy my carelessness was what got me into trouble early in my career. In my first job, many were vying to join the Planning Division. I got it. But I did not realise my weakness would show up big time as the work involved writing policy papers that are discussed at the Board level. Every letter, word and punctuation mark must be in order. Not getting every fact on point is a career breaker. I can’t ignore my weakness. I must manage it. I tried many ways to overcome it, but nothing worked. My manager coached, but I was beyond help. I am surprised I did not have a breakdown! Finally, I realise I could not change myself. So I changed jobs. Instantly, because of different job requirements, my weakness was not a derailer, just an irritant. I leverage my strengths, gain confidence, and eventually, recognition. Back to the salesperson who dislikes admin work. She still dislikes it. She also got promoted and is leading a team, helping them sell, sell, sell. And she is still getting bonuses for doing something she loves - selling. And how is the admin staff doing? Very well! Every salesperson appreciates that he helps them shine. And he gets a share of the team's bonus. When people leverage their strengths, they look forward to work instead of worrying about mistakes they will make. Agree?

When I first became an entrepreneur, one of my biggest challenges was learning how to lead a team. I quickly realized that scaling a team is about much more than just hiring talented people. Here are some of the steps I've found essential to growing a team: 1. Alignment Everyone has to be aligned on the company's mission and goals so that they're moving in the same direction. For leaders, this involves constantly repeating the company's roadmap and being transparent about goals and objectives. 2. The "mind melding" phase This approach may be more relevant for senior hires. Rather than granting complete autonomy from the start, I’ve found that a phased transition works better. I typically spend the first few months deeply involved in their work. During this period, I gain insight into their thought process, and they, in turn, understand my expectations and approach. Once we’ve established a mutual understanding, I gradually step back, confident that we’re aligned. 3. Independence and autonomy From there, I think one of the most important things you can do as a leader is get out of the way. If you want to attract and retain people who are self-starters and proactive, you have to give them autonomy. 4. Accountability and measurability The last step is to create accountability by checking in at regular intervals. Clear, measurable KPIs have to be part of the equation. In other words, independence is important, but it goes along with the expectation of producing concrete results. Building a strong team is an ongoing process that requires intentional effort, clear communication, and a balance between guidance and autonomy. You're not just scaling a company—you're building a culture where innovation isn't limited to just one person or their ideas.