Discovering and working with your genius.

It’s been an odd week.

Living in rural Herefordshire has its challenges. This week, my wife made a two-hour round trip to have my car’s brake fluid changed, only for the garage to decide they couldn’t do it.

On the plus side, I learnt how to stop Hazard, my Border Collie, from pulling on the lead. A harness with the D-ring at the front, by his chest, did the trick. In 20 years as a dog handler, nobody had ever mentioned this. I discovered it on YouTube, of all places, while looking at product reviews.

Anyhoo, what did I notice this week?

The limits of my genius zone.

I’m more of a catalyst than a visionary.

When someone has a vision, I feel compelled to help them figure out how to make it happen.

What needs to change? Which resources should be deployed? How do we turn their ambition into reality?

I literally can’t not do this. I fall into the process effortlessly, and it’s what my clients turn to me for.

But being good at figuring out how to make something happen doesn’t necessarily mean I’m equally good at deciding what’s worth pursuing in the first place. That’s something I defer to others.

I’ve recognised the limits of my genius zone. Trying to do things I’m not particularly good at distracts me from the things I’m naturally good at.

So, what about you?

Perhaps you have a propensity for visioning, strategising, planning, criticising or doing.

You can probably do a bit of each reasonably well. But in your Unique Ability zone, you’ll have developed capabilities that give you a massive edge.

For me, that’s working with growth leaders, helping them think through their agenda and turn their ambitions into reality.

What about you?

Think about the thing people regularly turn to you for. What comes naturally to you that others find difficult? Now ask yourself the opposite question: what do you get involved in doing that someone else might do better?

Your answers might tell you something about the limits of your own genius zone, and where you might need to defer to other team members whose strengths complement your own.

Are you curious about your Unique Ability and how you might use it more?

If so, I recommend Unique Ability 2.0 Discovery Workbooks, by Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller and others.

That’s all, until next week,

Clive

💡 The Agenda Sessions a thinking space for growth leaders.

Each quarter we’ll spend the best part of a day together. You bring what’s important for you to work on. The value comes from clarity, insight, and decisions made during the sessions.

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