Thrive? Clarify What You Suck At
To thrive you need to be clear about who you are. “What do you suck at?” Skip Richards, pilot, photographer, barista, grandfather, father, singer, visionary and now retired technology executive, used to ask his team members. “You need to know what you are not good at so you can focus on your strengths.” Skip learned from his dad, Ed Richards, about the power of appreciating unique talents. His dad intentionally observed his children and what their interests and talents were and supported them actively. He built a dark room for Skip given his budding interests in technology. Years later, as an IBM leader, Skip received a low performance rating. His response? He flew to meet his boss to assert that he was not a low performer and that he needed to find a way to contribute to his team leveraging what he was good at. He became the top performer of the team for five consecutive years after that. Service and getting engaged with your community is another part of thriving. “We live in a time of social isolation. Get involved, find ways to be of service.”
