What is your self-development philosophy?

• How do you know what areas you should develop?
• Are these areas genuine weaknesses or your assumptions?
• Are you sure you need to address these weaknesses? Or would you be further ahead playing to your strengths?
• Organizations make managers feel that they should be all things to all people, clones of each other, everyone demonstrating the same degree of excellence across a whole range of competencies.
• This is not realistic.  Nor is it thinking strategically.
• Many conglomerates have gone back to their core businesses, playing to their strengths rather than trying to be everything.
• Shouldn't managers think the same way?
• What is your strategic aim for yourself?
• What strengths do you need to get you there? These are strategic strengths.
• What weaknesses are blocking your strategic aim, if any? These are your strategic weaknesses.
• The moral of this story is: Put more emphasis on playing to your strengths. Doing what you are good at breeds confidence. Address only those weaknesses that are blocking your progress.
• Too much focus on weaknesses is self-defeating if it undermines your confidence in your strengths.
• Be sure you know what your strengths are. Don't discount them just because they are things you can do in your sleep. Ask yourself: How many other people can do what I can do?
• If you plan to address your strategic weaknesses, pick those few (1 to 3) that would most repay your investment, those that would add most value to your strategic intent if you were to address them. Thinking strategically about your development means working on only those areas that are going to yield the highest payoff for you.