Turn Your Kryptonite into a Superpower
Strengths and weaknesses, or as I like to call them Superpowers and Kryptonite, are something that we all have. Unfortunately, we get too focused on what is not going well or what we did not do as effectively as we think we should have. being done as effectively as it could be. By doing this, we miss something vitally important. Kryptonite is merely a Superpower that is being overused and with focused attention, it can be leveraged as a strength.
Before you can turn Kryptonite into a Superpower, you need to clearly define it and recognize it for what it is. It is something, that left unchecked, could spiral out of control. The more context and details that you can provide, the better. You will need those in the next step. Do not worry about getting the wording right; list the first thing that comes to mind as you answer the following questions.
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What is challenging for you?
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Is it always challenging or only in certain circumstances?
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What feedback have you received?
Next, look at each item on your list and re-frame it, using this set of simple questions. I have included an example to help you get started.
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How can this be a strength? Ex: I have too many ideas is also creative and innovative thinker.
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What gets in my way of letting this be a strength? Ex: Things move too fast to narrow down my ideas.
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What do you want to do when this happens? Ex: I want to be able to capture all my great ideas and not lose any of them.
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What can you do when this happens? Ex: I can keep an idea book and capture my ideas on the fly. When I get a break, I can look at what I have captured and organize my thoughts.
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How can I turn this into a strength? Ex: When I look through my idea book, I can prioritize the ideas and start to propose them when I see a business need for them.
Before you can fully claim your new Superpower, you will need to try it out and practice it. Consider it a new muscle that you are just beginning to use. The more you use it, the stronger it will become. At first, it will be awkward and potentially uncomfortable. You will be tempted to stop working it out altogether. I assure you, that if you keep working at it, it will become second nature, just like one of other Superpowers. Before too long, others around you will notice the change. You will now have a new Superpower to add to your list.
You have done all the work to turn your Kryptonite into a new Superpower. It is time to give it a mantra and proclaim it proudly: “Creative and Innovative Thinker”.
