Using Strengths for Success

How can you bring out the best in people? I’ve been in leadership for over 20 years, and I’ve tried just about every approach—some were great, some flopped spectacularly. But there’s one formula that Frances Frei and Anne Morriss shared in the book Unleashed that works: Deep Devotion + High Standards. (Frances and Anne are amazing btw). Get the combination right, and you unlock the best in your people. Miss the mark, and your leadership falls into traps. High Standards, Low Devotion = Judgment You push for excellence but don’t offer the support needed to reach it. Your team feels crappy. High Devotion, Low Standards = Indulgence You genuinely care but fail to challenge. I’ll admit, I’m sometimes guilty of this with my kids 🙂 Low Devotion, Low Standards = Neglect You don’t expect much, and you don’t provide much. You will not get much. ✅ High Devotion, High Standards = High Performance You’re fully invested in people’s success while holding them to a high bar. This is where great leadership happens. So how do you make sure you’re leading with both deep devotion and high standards? Here’s what’s worked for me: 1. Set clear expectations (and don’t be vague) People should always know exactly what’s expected of them—no guessing, no surprises. Regularly communicate goals and hold your team accountable. 2. Give real, direct feedback No sugarcoating, no waiting for annual reviews. Be honest, be specific, and do it often. The best feedback helps people course-correct before things go off track. 3. Go to bat for your team If they need resources—more staff, better tools, your time—make it happen. Deep devotion isn’t just a phrase; it’s action. This isn’t easy, but leadership rarely is. The best leaders challenge and support in equal measure. How do you bring out the best in your teams?

A well-trained team isn’t a company expense. It’s your greatest competitive advantage. Great leaders know this key to success: Notice how some teams excel, while others struggle? What's the secret? Investing in employee training and creating a workplace they love. ✅ Training enhances skill sets.  ↳ Employees gain new skills, making them more effective and valuable. ✅ Motivation and loyalty soar.  ↳ When employees feel valued, they stay and contribute positively. ✅ Turnover costs drop.  ↳ Retaining trained employees saves money on hiring and onboarding. ✅ A strong workplace culture grows.  ↳ Supportive environments boost engagement and satisfaction. Don’t miss these strategies: 1️⃣ Offer continuous training programs to keep skills sharp. ↳ Implement a monthly "Lunch & Learn" session where employees can gain new knowledge from internal or external experts. 2️⃣ Create mentorship opportunities for career growth. ↳ Pair new hires with experienced employees for a structured 90-day mentorship program to accelerate learning and engagement. 3️⃣ Foster a culture of recognition and appreciation. ↳ Set up a "Kudos Wall" (physical or digital) where employees can publicly recognize their colleagues' great work. 4️⃣ Encourage open communication between employees and management. ↳ Hold regular "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) sessions with leadership to create transparency and trust. 5️⃣ Provide clear paths for career advancement. ↳ Develop career roadmaps for each role and discuss growth opportunities in one-on-one meetings. 6️⃣ Ensure work-life balance with flexible policies. ↳ Introduce "Focus Fridays" with no meetings to allow deep work and flexibility. 7️⃣ Regularly gather feedback to improve satisfaction. ↳ Use pulse surveys every quarter and hold focus groups to act on key concerns. 8️⃣ Align organizational goals with personal aspirations. ↳ Have managers ask, “What’s one skill you want to develop this year?” in performance reviews and offer resources to support growth. Investing in your employees is investing in your company's future. Prioritize training and retention. Watch your organization thrive. _____________ ♻️ Repost to encourage training employees well. 👋 I write posts like this every day at 9:30am EST. Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don't miss the next one.

‘Fix your weaknesses.' Bosses advise it. Books preach it. We believe it. As a CEO that has coached 100+ leaders, I can definitively say: This is the worst career advice people follow. I remember being a fresh engineering grad on VMware's product marketing team. I watched our GM give an inspiring all-hands—he was funny, charismatic, everything I wasn’t. My conclusion: I'm a bad public speaker. I must become great at it to lead. The more leaders I met, the longer my list of ‘weaknesses to fix.’ My first big project was analyzing growth potential across geographies, for that same executive. Being a natural at analysis, I quickly unified all levers into one metric to track our penetration in different markets. I then spent all of my time improving my presentation skills. In the end, my delivery was mediocre but that metric changed how executives saw our business. Every subsequent win came from my strengths. The more I leaned in, the faster I grew. Two years later, I was placed in the top 2% of the company—despite being below average in many areas. I see the same pattern in every leader I coach: they shine using their strengths, and underperform when copying others. Here’s why: The best careers are built on solving hard problems. This requires Top 1% skills. Focusing on your strengths is the only path to developing Top 1% skills. Here’s the math I’ve observed across hundreds of people: • Work on your weakness: Takes over a decade to get to Top 10% • Work on your strengths: Takes only a couple of years to get to Top 1% See if this rings true in your own career. My advice for developing your strengths: 1. Find Your Superpowers Don't overcomplicate this. Ask people who know you best: 'What am I uniquely great at?' Better yet, ask yourself: 'What seems effortless to me but difficult for my peers?' Hint: this tends to line up with what you love doing. 2. Double Down on them Got a gift for storytelling? Become obsessed. Read every book. Find mentors who share your strength. Don't just be great—become exceptional. 3. Here's the Real Game-Changer: Don't adapt to the role. Adapt the role to you. I’ll give you an example. Early on I watched other leaders do huge team rallies because that's 'what leaders do.' But I was better in small groups. So instead of copying them, I did quarterly 1:1s and intimate team dinners. Took the same time, built deeper connections, played to my strengths. Let me be clear: Don’t completely ignore your weaknesses. But spend most of your time on developing and using your strengths. That’s the key unlock for a 10x career. Take a minute to look at your biggest project. Are you playing to your strengths, or following someone else's formula?

Most sales VPs I talk to are frustrated. Their teams hit numbers sporadically. Deals slip. Reps plateau. They feel like they're babysitting adults instead of leading high performers. (Is this you?) Here's what I learned scaling teams to multiple 9 figures while hitting President's Club every single year: → High performance isn't about talent. It's about systems. The same 3 pillar system I used as a frontline leader (and now teach to sales VPs at 8 and 9-figure companies) can transform your team from reactive to proactive. PILLAR 1: Systematic Weekly 1-on-1s Not check ins. Performance drivers. 🔹Have THEM verbalize their numbers 🔹Review specific action items from last week 🔹Set crystal clear next actions (so specific a 2nd grader could understand) 🔹Use a pre-meeting form to drive self-awareness PILLAR 2: Weekly Scoreboards Visibility drives behavior. Period. 🔹Stack rank by your most important KPI 🔹Send every Monday morning 🔹Everyone sees where they stand 🔹Celebrate top performers publicly PILLAR 3: Strategic Call Shadowing This is where transformation happens. 🔹Plan monthly in advance 🔹Require agenda with minimum 3 calls 🔹Coach in real-time, not a week later 🔹Start with what they did well, then max 3 improvements If your AE can't prepare a solid half day for their sales leader, what are they doing when you're not watching? The result of this system: → Reps know exactly where they stand and what to do next → Problems surface early, not at quarter-end → Your team CRAVES feedback because they know it drives results → You hit bigger numbers without needing heroics every quarter Bottom line: Stop managing by hope. Start leading with systems. Your team (and your numbers) will thank you. — Ready to systemize your sales leadership? Book a call to see how we can implement this in your organization: https://lnkd.in/ghh8VCaf

I used to bomb interviews. Not because I wasn’t smart enough. Not because I lacked experience. But because I said the WRONG things to the RIGHT questions. Let me explain. I thought saying “I’m a hard worker” or “I just push through” would impress interviewers. I thought “I don’t fail often” made me sound strong. I thought “I don’t know yet” showed humility. It didn’t. It made me sound generic. Forgettable. Like 90% of other candidates. The truth? Interviewing is a skill. And just like any skill, it can be learned—or unlearned. Here’s how I flipped the script and started getting callbacks that turned into offers 👇 🟥 What’s your greatest strength? Old Me: “I’m hardworking.” New Me: “I excel in stakeholder communication, like when I led a cross-functional team through a delayed startup and realigned timelines in under 3 days.” ↳ Strength + Proof = Respect 🟥 What’s your biggest weakness? Old Me: “I work too hard.” New Me: “I used to struggle with delegation. Now I use a priority matrix and coach junior staff weekly to build their independence.” ↳ Vulnerability + Growth = Trust 🟥 Why do you want to work here? Old Me: “It seems like a good company.” New Me: “Your focus on rare disease trials inspires me. I want to apply my experience in patient recruitment to help your team reduce enrollment timelines.” ↳ Research + Relevance = Impact 🟥 Tell me about a time you failed. Old Me: “I don’t fail often.” New Me: “During a protocol deviation audit, I overlooked a report deadline. I owned it, revamped our tracking system, and cut repeat errors by 40%.” ↳ Accountability = Leadership Most people bomb interviews not because they’re unqualified… But because they’re unprepared to sell their story. This image 🔗 (save it) shows the exact pivot I coach people on daily. If you’re tired of getting ghosted after interviews… Stop rehearsing cliches. Start preparing impact stories that prove you’re the solution. Follow Rudy Malle for real talk on interviews, job search strategy, and breaking into clinical research with confidence. Thank you Justin Mecham for putting this together. I don’t teach “what to say”—I teach how to mean it. #jobsearchstrategy #interviewtips #clinicalresearchcareers #careercoaching #landthejob

The hardest person to manage is ourselves. In 2005, Peter Drucker wrote an Harvard Business Review article that feels like it was written for today’s world. He emphasized something powerful: the ability to manage ourselves. In a time when career paths are no longer linear and change is constant, his insights are more relevant than ever. Drucker challenged us to ask three big questions about ourselves: - What are my strengths? - How do I perform best? - What are my values? These questions aren’t just for the Napoléons and Mozarts of the world—they’re for anyone navigating the complexities of the workplace. Here’s how to reflect on these ideas and manage yourself more effectively: 1. Discover Your Strengths Most people think they know what they’re good at—but many are wrong. Drucker proposed a simple solution: feedback analysis. Write down your expectations every time you make a key decision. A year later (or maybe a few months later), compare the actual results with what you expected. Patterns will emerge, showing you where you truly shine—and where you don’t. Tip: Focus on your strengths. Instead of trying to fix every weakness, double down on what you naturally excel at to achieve excellence. 2. Understand How You Perform People work and learn differently. Are you a reader or a listener? Do you learn by doing, writing, or talking? For example, Eisenhower excelled as a Supreme Commander because he prepared with written questions but struggled as President because he had to answer spontaneously in press conferences. Tip: Align your work style with what suits you best. If you’re a listener, seek discussions; if you’re a writer, carve out time to process through writing. 3. Live by Your Values Values are your internal compass. They define not just what you do but how you want to show up. Drucker shared the story of a diplomat who resigned rather than compromise his values. Knowing your values ensures your work aligns with who you are at the core. Tip: Periodically ask yourself: Does my work align with my values? If not, it may be time to pivot. As work evolves, so must we. By understanding our strengths, adapting how we perform, and living by our values, we can chart fulfilling, impactful careers. For me, this is a reminder to pause and reflect—not just on WHAT I’m doing but HOW and WHY I’m doing it. The hardest person to manage truly is ourselves, but when we embrace that challenge, we create opportunities to grow, contribute, and thrive in ways that feel deeply aligned with who we are. #reflection #learning #clarity #growth #improvement #leadership #humanBehavior #curiosity #values https://lnkd.in/enjcH4VJ

If you’re familiar with Clifton Strengths, my number one strength is Input, which means I’m super curious and always want to know more about the world. I might over-index in this area, but everyone has the quality of curiosity in some way. In fact, when you look at stats on the workplace desires of every generation, one of the few benefits that EVERY age employee wants from work is to learn and grow – that includes people just starting out and those on the verge of retirement. One of the most important actions you can take as a leader is to make space for learning and development for all of the employees you oversee. Use  your influence to promote learning and development across your organization. Here are three suggestions: 1. Host a monthly lunch-and-learn, in person and/or virtual, where one employee teaches a topic or skill to other employees. 2. Send a monthly email to your team highlighting that month’s available training programs at your company – if you have them – or recommend a few LinkedIn Learning courses you’ve found valuable. You can invite employees to share their own favorites for the following month’s list. 3. Host a hack day or hack hour, when everyone works on a single project together and learns from each other. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” - Interested in more advice on thriving in a multigenerational workplace? Join other leaders who read my monthly insights here: https://lnkd.in/e-ij66vi

Creative thinking got you to $1M. But if you want to scale beyond that? You need to think like an elite operator. Here’s how 👇🏼 When I was producing for Discovery Inc and Nickelodeon, decisions were driven by creative instinct. But when I became Creative Director, everything changed. Creative still mattered.  But now, growth dictated every move. Most agency owners never make that shift. They’re skilled creatives with business acumen.  But they still run their shop like a portfolio, not a company. The fact that not many realize: Once you hit $1M, you’re no longer just a maker. You’re a builder. You need to become the CEO your agency deserves. How to make that leap: ✅ Shift from Execution to Strategy Stop selling tasks. Start selling outcomes. Don’t say: “We’ll run your ads.” Say: “We’ll lower your CAC by 30%.” ✅ Stop Being the Bottleneck You can probably do everything. But you can’t do everything. Delegate tasks and decision-making. Systemize operations so your team doesn’t rely on your genius 24/7. ✅ Build Repeatable Systems Creativity happens inside structure. Reliable delivery systems are what make scaling possible. Think: SOPs, short proposals, alignment meetings. Every process codified. ✅ Position Like an Owner, Not a Freelancer The freelancer mindset chases projects. The operator mindset builds assets. Specialize your offer. Anchor it in ROI. Price for value, not effort. ✅ Create Leverage If everything depends on you, you’ve built a job, not a business. Recurring revenue, productized services, and strong profit margins = freedom. Scaling to $5M+ isn’t about getting more creative. It’s about becoming someone who can build a real machine. Your creativity isn’t going away.  But now, it’s just one part of a bigger engine. You’re not just the artist anymore.  You’re the architect. You don’t scale an agency with creativity.  You scale it with operational clarity. Most agency owners are incredible creatives. But creativity alone doesn’t get you to $5M. — ps. I’m helping ambitious agency owners build their pipeline, increase profit and become world-class operators in my program Creative Agency Accelerator. The waitlist for it is now open (DM me for the link)!

Next time you're feeling stuck in your job search with zero interviews, try THIS resume strategy. Ask yourself these deep-dive questions: 1. What do you do better than anyone else? 2. What are you known for no matter where you work? 3. What do others come to you for? Finding these themes across your career reveals your signature strengths—the exact qualities hiring managers are searching for. This strategy transformed my client Kathryn's job search. As a global communications executive who worked 18-hour days and built departments from scratch, she thought her experience would speak for itself. But after four weeks using a template resume, she had zero interviews. When we dug deeper using these questions, we discovered her unique strengths and competitive advantages that weren't coming through on her resume. We restructured her resume to highlight these differentiators and showcase her accomplishments using the C.A.R. format (Challenge, Action, Result). The result? Five interviews with top Silicon Valley companies, including Amazon and Facebook. She accepted a VP role at Amazon within 30 days and was promoted again just eight months later. Your experience alone isn't enough—you need to communicate what makes you uniquely valuable. What patterns do you see across your career? What are your signature strengths? Those are your differentiators! If you're nodding along because you know you bring more to the table than your resume shows, I'd love to help you 1:1. Message me to discuss your executive resume. #LinkedInTopVoices #Resumes #Careers #PersonalBranding

Success isn't about big dramatic moves.⁣ ⁣ It's about small, consistent systems that compound over time while everyone else is looking for shortcuts.⁣ ⁣ The most successful people have boring daily systems that create extraordinary results through consistency.⁣ ⁣ Here are the 8 non-negotiable systems that separate achievers from dreamers:⁣ ⁣ 1: Decision Filtering Framework⁣ ↳ Create criteria for saying yes or no to decisions instead of deciding case by case.⁣ ↳ Filters eliminate decision fatigue and keep you focused on what actually matters.⁣ ⁣ 2: Energy Optimization System⁣ ↳ Design your environment and schedule around when you naturally perform best.⁣ ↳ Working with your biology instead of against it multiplies output without effort.⁣ ⁣ 3: Reverse Planning Architecture⁣ ↳ Start with your desired outcome and work backwards to find the exact steps needed.⁣ ↳ Forward planning often leads to busy work while reverse planning reveals the path.⁣ ⁣ 4: Relationship Pipeline System⁣ ↳ Maintain contact with key people through touchpoints instead of sporadic outreach.⁣ ↳ Systematic relationship building creates opportunities that seem like luck.⁣ ⁣ 5: Progress Tracking Infrastructure⁣ ↳ Build automatic ways to measure what matters instead of relying on memory.⁣ ↳ Data reveals patterns and progress that emotions and assumptions often miss.⁣ ⁣ 6: Recovery and Reset Protocols⁣ ↳ Build ways to restore energy and prevent burnout before you hit the wall.⁣ ↳ Planned recovery prevents forced breaks and maintains consistent performance.⁣ ⁣ 7: Learning Integration Process⁣ ↳ Capture insights and apply new knowledge instead of just consuming information.⁣ ↳ Knowledge without application is entertainment.⁣ ⁣ 8: Boundary Automation System⁣ ↳ Create automatic ways to protect your time and energy from energy drains.⁣ ↳ Automated boundaries work better than willpower and reduces your mental load.⁣ ⁣ Which system will you build first?⁣ ⁣⁣ 💚 Follow Hetali Mehta, for more. 📌 Share this with your network.⁣⁣⁣⁣ 👇Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH