In this week’s solo episode of Burning the Ships, I’m unpacking one of the biggest mindset shifts in my leadership journey: learning to lead from strength. I break down how a single book—StrengthsFinder—radically reshaped how I manage teams, build company culture, and even how I operate day to day. This episode is for the entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders who are tired of wasting energy on weaknesses, and are ready to double down on what they do best.
From my early management days in sales to growing 608B Capital today, I share how leaning into strengths transformed morale, productivity, and business outcomes.
If you’re building a team or building yourself, this is your sign to burn the ships on weakness-fixation and go all in on what fuels you.
Key Talking Points of the Episode
00:00 Introduction
01:02 JJ’s Joke of the Week
02:20 My early days in sales and stepping into management
04:49 The mistake I made trying to “fix” people’s weaknesses
05:56 Discovering the StrengthsFinder book and its core philosophy
08:06 How focusing on weaknesses can impact an individual’s strengths
10:00 Reflecting on my weaknesses to better understand my team
12:51 A new model of leadership: energize vs. deplete
15:32 How everything changed for my team in 2015
16:45 Hiring based on energy and not just values
19:02 Partnering with Bill: A case study in complementary strengths
23:02 The creative “chaos” of ADHD as a superpower
26:24 Steph Curry, sports analogies, and playing to your strengths
Quotables
“I used to think I had to fix my team’s weaknesses. But the more I pushed them to spend energy on what drained them, the worse our results got.”
“What if instead of trying to fix what makes you miserable, you could build a life around what fills you up?”
“You don’t hire people and then hope they grow into the job. You hire people whose strengths match the role—and you let them thrive.”
Links
608B Capital
StrengthsFinder
https://www.amazon.com/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Tom-Rath/dp/159562015X
