When considering personal development, an inevitable question arises: should one double down on existing strengths or work on eliminating weaknesses?
In today's world, specificity is valued significantly more than general ability. Due to the interconnected nature of our global economy, being exceptional in a very specific skill or domain is more valuable than being average across many skills and domains. This trend continues to strengthen.
Consider this example: an actor in the market seeks specific knowledge about growing revenues. They have two potential options:
- Someone with general knowledge of growth and marketing.
- Someone with specific knowledge in growing revenues profitably in the exact market in which the actor operates.
The knowledge from option 2 is orders of magnitude more valuable than that of option 1. Consequently, the price adjusts - option 2 can offer their expertise at a steep premium compared to option 1.
Applying these dynamics to personal development, it becomes clear that instead of working on a rounded profile of abilities and knowledge (i.e., eliminating weaknesses), it's more valuable to double down on existing strengths. The time and energy spent on enhancing existing strengths will yield a higher return.
It's true that to be effective in a market, one needs a well-rounded combination of strengths across domains and skills. For this, collaboration with others is inevitable. However, the conclusion remains clear: doubling down on your strengths is a better strategy if your intent is to maximize the yield of your energy and time, rather than working on eliminating your weaknesses.