In the last post I talked about Pareto’s 80/20 principle and how it can be applied in many spheres of our life. To illustrate this let me narrate an experience of my graduation days. I was an active sportsperson and specially loved the long jump. It was something that always caught my imagination. I loved the feeling of the leap and being airborne. In the initial years, during a practice session I observed many of my friends taking a count of the steps, measuring their run up. I imitated their actions, measured my steps and took the leap. I did fairly well. But was still at a loss to understand the need for measuring my steps. What was the need for it? I went to my coach and asked the rationale behind it. He smiled and asked “Naveen are you a right or left hander?” I was surprised for I could not see any logic behind my query and his counter question. Yet I said “I predominantly use my right hand”. He said “that means there is enormous unutilized energy in your left leg. The left leg is stronger than your right leg. You should therefore realize this and work on this advantage. It will do wonders. If you take a leap from your left leg you would be able to jump much better.” Hearing this, I realized the importance of calculating the count of steps. This calculation would ensure that I take a jump on my left leg from the ground. I worked hard on this new learning. And later this technique made all the difference, which then translated into my winning the gold in various tournaments. From this apparently simple lesson I learnt: – – The art of recognizing my strengths. – Any extra effort on one’s strength gives rich yields. – When one takes a right run-up and leap it translates into a win. I understood why it’s so important to play by and leverage on your strengths. When it was so much true in sports, I knew that it would do wonders if applied to life at large. It helps you in taking a big leap in ones life. And it certainly did to me. Play by our strengths, this is the mantra for growth. Leaders not only recognize their strength but also the strength of people around them. Leaders create opportunities around them and help them take the leap in their career through their efforts. They enable their people to take the appropriate run-up, which helps them take the best leap in their career and ultimately win the world. This is one of the biggest strength of a leader. image courtesy: www.hardstand.com