Discover Hidden Strengths In Negative Feedback
I have been told that I am bossy and controlling! Boy did I want to just quit pushing for my goals and hide out after hearing that a few times. Thankfully, I didn’t or I would not be coaching clients today! Instead, I have embraced my leadership qualities and help people chart their personal course to their success.
Negative feedback often leaves your self-esteem wounded; it makes you feel like your inadequacies have been put on the spotlight. When this happens, you naturally get defensive either by beating yourself down mentally, or you resort to attacking the source of the negative criticism.
Feedback from others is one fundamental way of finding out your capabilities and what you are missing.
To succeed in what you do, you cannot only rely on doing and improving on what comes easily to you (that is, your strengths); you will also need to need to acknowledge your weaknesses and learn how to manage your weaknesses to uncover the hidden strengths within them. The ability to do this can help you to realize your potential and boost your confidence enabling you to operate at a higher level necessary for unearthing the strengths from the weaknesses.
What Are Hidden Strengths?
Hidden strengths refer to those talents, skills, and abilities that are not seen at first as perceived weaknesses mask them. They remain hidden because they are generally unrealized, underdeveloped, and underutilized.
What was once a weaknesses is now a strength!
The process of discovering your hidden strengths often begin with adjusting your self-perception, as the belief you have about your strengths and weaknesses most times “puts you in a box,” limiting your belief system. A shift in self-perception is necessary to create a boost in your confidence about your ability to improve on those weaknesses you have to unleash your hidden strengths.
Here are 3 weaknesses shifted to show the hidden strengths:
Perfectionism: Being a perfectionist does not necessarily make you a weak person; it only means that you move through or do your work differently than others. The perfectionist’s ability to focus on small details is an asset to you, as you can spot little critical information other people may have missed. A perfectionist is always the one to identify anything that seems off as well as connect the dots on issues.
The strength of perfectionists is evident in their “insistence” at being thorough about work and other life processes. A perfectionist is never satisfied until every detail about a project or event has been sorted out and every eventuality prepared for adequately – This in itself is a demonstration of an invaluable strength.
Sensitivity: Sensitive people often make exceptional team members as they tend to take into account the feelings of other people. They do not talk down to other team members; instead, they promote the contribution of opinions and views by every team member. A sensitive person can even go as far as taking the blame for the group when things go wrong. This supportive strength of sensitive individuals is crucial for maintaining harmony in the workplace when appropriately harnessed.
Domineering: Dominant people display self-confidence that often comes off as arrogant or bossy; their style of communication is direct and blunt, and they tend always to take the lead in situations. They monopolize discussions and are often quick to reach decisions without seeking the inputs of others.
Nevertheless, as cynical as the stance of dominant individuals may seem, they possess some substantial strengths. Domineering people often make good leaders, especially in crises situations, as they are excellent at handling stressful situations. They are never afraid to take risks; instead, they stay enthusiastic, even in the face of new challenges. The determination trait which dominant people have is expressed in their level of energy and ability to encourage other team members to stay focused on performing their tasks and responsibilities until the set goal is achieved.
No doubt, negative feedback, whether from others or you through the perceptions you have about yourself can leave you feeling deflated and unmotivated, but what you do with that information is crucial to how far you can go and how much you can achieve.
Adjust your self-perception about your capabilities and inadequacies.
Develop a realistic approach to doing those things you believe you can do with optimism.
Go ahead unleash your hidden strengths and soar.
Raz Coaching specializes in helping people with executive function challenges associated with ADHD, PTSD, Stress, TBI’s and ASD find careers they will love and land them. Read more at www.razcoaching.com/about Or sign up for the weekly blog and learn about my new book Happiness+Passion+Purpose.
