PMC Thought #4: Heart of Success' Law No. 3: Play to Your Strengths, Find Your Factor X

Pardon me for the short hiatus in our Heart of Success series.

For Law No. 3, Rob Parsons gave the illustration based on the story "Animal Farm" by George Orwell.  It is a story where pigs rule over a farmhouse and the humans are out.

In one instance, the pigs are talking about the tasks that were never completed by other animals.  As the Owl was kicked out from the board room, he walked around the farm house and noticed that cows are hatching the eggs, chickens are guarding the corn-store, the squirrel is taking a swimming lesson and a turkey just fell from an oak tree. 

Simply put, the animals are doing jobs they are not meant to do. 

Relate this to our lives, it means that we have to align our skills and capabilities to whatever we do.  This holds true for the people under us.  Not because one great salesman could perform better above the others would mean that he is also meant to be a great manager.  Parsons said, “don’t give him bigger office, give him bigger challenges.”  Well, it doesn’t mean that he should not be promoted at all.  It means that give him challenges where he can excel and be more using his own unique gift.

Parsons further added that the “key to the heart of success for both individuals and companies is to discover what [I] call Factor X and then be set free to use it.  Factor X is the ability in a man or woman that is a natural strength – it sets them apart from the pack. 

Imagine if Michael Jordan, with some twist of fate, decided to pursue boxing or golf.   We would have missed perhaps the greatest basketball player.

In the end, Parsons quoted from Quentin Crisp the following words:

“It’s no good running a pig farm badly for thirty years while saying, ‘Really, I was meant to be a ballet dancer.’  By that time pigs will be your style.”

Let me say this from my own point of view.  Discover your strengths.  Find your Factor X and maximize it.  And I dare say, DO IT NOW!

In our journey towards success, remember that we can’t just sit and watch things unfold.  It would be like lions watching rats dining on the zebras.

For the executive briefing, Parsons suggested the following:

  Find somebody whose opinion you value and ask the following:

·        What do you consider to be my main gift or skill?

·        Can you think of any steps I could take to use that skills more effectively?

·        Am I in the right organization?

·        Where do you feel I could be of most value in my organization?

·        Is there a skill that my organization needs that I could acquire?

Ask yourself:

·        If I could choose, what job or role would I love to try?

·        What tasks come easily to me?

·        Is most of my time spent doing things that play to my strength?

·        How important is it to me to have the opportunity to do what I am best at?  What if it meant forgoing career progressions and financial rewards for the chance to do it?

There you have it PMCers, law no.3 of our Heart of Success by Rob Parsons series.  Until next post!

To your success,

J. Roy

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(All articles from this series were the author’s personal interpretation from the book Heart of Success by Rob Parsons.  The author is neither licensed nor representing the original author of said book)