The Incredible Power And Potential Of An Imbalanced Life

I am looking at many aspects of leadership differently today.  One of things I am viewing through a different lens if the difference between a balanced, broad-based skill set vs. an imbalanced approach of focusing all your efforts in only doing a few things well.  If I were forced to choose, I am advising young leaders to take the imbalanced approach.

An imbalanced life allows a person to do the following:

1. Become great.  While it is impressive for a person to be great at many things, that is quite uncommon.  However, anybody can become very, very good, if not great, at a few things.
2. Find your “sweet spot”.
3. Become an expert at your craft or area of discipline.
4. To focus and be free from distractions.
5. To see unique intricacies that only experts see.  This is the difference between a painter and an artist.
6. Become an expert on others in your field.
7. Avoid being blind-sided.  There are fewer surprises.
8. Develop an insatiable thirst for knowledge on your area of expertise.
9. Inspire others by your knowledge on a subject.
10. Have options as to where best to apply your craft.
11. Identify creative ways to apply your knowledge and insights.
12. Recognize peak performance.  Imbalanced leaders are comfortable with having different sets of rules for different people.  They realize people do not have an equal level of performance.
13. Imbalanced teams perform better.

John Maxwell often says, “I only do three things well.  I speak.  I write.  I lead.  I am the product of an imbalanced life.”  As I look at most great leaders, they are like John.  They only do a few things well.  These leaders just do them with incredible excellence, passion, and impact.

Some final thoughts:

1. This should be a great encouragement to many reading this post.  Stop trying to be all things to all people.  This leads to average performance.  Take that pressure off of yourself.
2. Discover the two or three things you do very well and focus all your energies into becoming the best you possibly can be in those specific areas.
3. And finally, people never pay for average.  But they will line up at your door when you are doing great things.

Anyone disagree?

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