This is the classic question - is it better to improve upon the skills that give you a competitive advantage, or should you address the areas that are your weak points? Do you make the peaks higher or do you smooth out the valleys?

I came across a similar debate in one of my social studies classes in college. We studied about how the policy makers and the endowment foundations at the beginning of the 1900’s debated how to improve schools and universities - do you give money to the elite schools or to schools that cater to the mass? On one hand, if you give to the elite schools you will help push the boundaries of human advancements. On the other hand, by not giving to the bigger schools you will neglect the majority of the people.

Since I’m talking about schools, a parable for this topic is The Animal School. The story is about a bunch of animals deciding to improve the world by creating an animal school with classes such as running, swimming, and flying. I won’t go into the details but basically it calls into question whether being well-rounded (say, like a duck) is better than being excellent in a certain skills (say, like a cheetah or an eagle). Although it was a story for children, I came across this story as an adult and I appreciated it.

Based on all the different arguments about this topic, I think a reasonable conclusion is to make sure that your weaknesses are improved to the point that they are not a liability anymore, but ultimately, success depends on your strengths and the competitive advantage they bring.

Part of this process is to understand what are your strengths and weaknesses. For me, I learned a lot about myself through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. I am an INTP, which basically explains why a character flaw of mine is analysis-paralysis . I am very theoretical and do my best work alone. There are good and bad to this, but by simply knowing my traits, I can accommodate accordingly. I try to schedule my meetings in the day to happen close in time together, which then allows me to have a good stretch of uninterrupted time so I can do my best work.

A classic tough interview question is, “Name one of your weakness.” The best answer is the truth - be open about your weakness. However, make sure the answer is accompanied with what you do to mitigate your weakness, and also that this weakness is a byproduct of one of your strengths that give you your competitive advantage.

[ The books I used for the MBTI were Do What You Are (Tieger and Barron), Please Understand Me II (Keirsey), and What Type Am I? (Baron). ]