Whether told through history, or through myth, the hero’s journey is consistent. There comes a turning point where the hero gets knocked down, and their strengths aren’t there to pick them up.

As skillful a fighter Perseus was, his tactics alone would do nothing against Medusa but turn him to stone.

Theseus’ strength carried him all the way to slay the minotaur, but solely relying on this ability would have left him trapped in the labyrinth.

Not even the brute strength of Hercules could stand a chance against Hera’s vengeance towards him.

But in the end, these heroes found a way, and what led them to victory wasn’t a natural talent they relied on. They were confronted by their weaknesses and were faced to find a way outside their strengths to overcome, or fail.

I’ve chosen to use Greek heroes as an example of the hero’s journey. Heroes in mythology appear to be a more so readily agreed upon example of what a hero represents. But there are countless heroes in history that fall within the hero’s journey. It is up for debate who we consider a hero to be, and I am leaving that up to you, the reader, to choose.

More explanation about the hero’s journey in just a minute, but first, let’s look at what relying on strengths results in…

The cost of putting strengths first

While at one point, this ‘follow your strengths talk’ was useful advice, the emphasis has become overblown and misleading.

Note – I’m using the word strengths in relation to a skill someone is naturally talented at such as being a good speaker, a good writer, a gifted artist, etc.

Why has all of this ‘follow your strengths talk’ been overblown?

• • It makes the ego feel good.

• • It takes away constructive criticism.

• • People are reminded of what they’re good at, rather than where they can improve.

• • It absolves them from the discomfort of confronting weaknesses.
  • It is an excuse for people to stay within their comfort zone.

What putting your strengths first robs you of:

• • Having a growth mindset.
  • Living by your purpose.
  • Self-awareness.

• • Learning.

• • Resilience.
  • The truth.

Putting strengths first is only doing things you think you’re good at. Do you really know all that you’re good at? What if you’re nearly scratching the surface of abilities you are yet to tap into?

Author of bestseller High Performance Habits Brendon Burchard writes:

There’s a myth that our innate “strengths” are what we all should be focusing on. But the time for navel-gazing is long since over. We must see beyond what comes naturally to us, and develop into what we must be in order to grow, serve, and lead. High performers get that. They’re less into “finding their strengths” and more into “adaptive service”—exploring what needs fixing and growing into the person who can fix it.

Putting strengths first detracts from your purpose

Your purpose = your mission + The Path you’re on.

You need both. Without a mission, there is no true path. And without a path, there is no destination to your mission.

When you’re following your purpose, you will come to an inevitable crossroads of doing something you have no experience in, but must pursue. Your purpose involves diving into the unknown. It involves doing that one thing you’re afraid of doing, but deep down, you know you should be doing.

Someone who leads by their strengths clings to areas they have experience in, and therefore won’t excel in times of uncertainty. They’re not on The Path, they’re in a zone – a comfort zone that has reached its destination. The Path is ever expanding, but a zone is stagnant.  

You don’t lead by only doing things you’re good at. You don’t lead by doing what’s easy. You lead by having the courage to enter the unknown.

Your strengths are crucial, but if relied upon, as ironic as this sounds, they’ll become your weakness. Relying on strengths won’t foster personal growth and overall improvement. Something else will…

Develop qualities over strengths

A strength could be you’re good at speaking. You may be a solid writer or a gifted artist. Strengths are areas you’re talented in.

Qualities are more important than strengths. The root of building any skill, being discipline, is an unparalleled quality to have. Having the courage to dive into the unknown and pursue your purpose is crucial. Being resilient in the face of adversity is far superior to any strength you will develop. These are qualities. The more you exercise these qualities, the stronger they become.

Why is it that the people who excelled and reached the top were rarely the most talented or gifted or smartest person? They had qualities. The smartest kid in the class rarely is the most successful. It’s the person who has mastered the art of discipline, hard work, dedication, and many other qualities I am yet to learn about that excels.

The great athletes enter the prime of their career often after their physical peak. Michael Jordan, LeBron, Kobe were athletically gifted, but they played their best ball after their physical peak. They expanded their skill set, became better leaders, became wiser, and in turn, won more championships.

Albert Einstein failed several classes. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round. David Goggins was afraid of water, couldn’t jog a lap or do a pullup, yet became a Navy SEAL, competed in a 200-mile race, and set a world record for pull-ups in a day (4,025).

These people weren’t born with an innate strength that carried them to the top. They had invaluable qualities that propelled them forward.

I can tell you, battling disease the past decade, strengths do nothing. Motivation would come and go. Inspiring words feel good, but they don’t accomplish anything. The disease would take away my ability to live a normal life. It took away things I was good at, forever. But the one thing that never abandoned me were qualities.

Strengths don’t save you – qualities do. Strengths are on the surface, qualities are deep inside you. They’re who you are. This is why personal growth and continual self-discovery is so important. They’re where your qualities are developed.

Qualities ampilfy strengths and overcome weaknesses

Someone who’s gifted in painting will transform this strength from good to great when they embody discipline. Likewise, at the same time, being disciplined will keep the artist consistent, therefore overcoming the weakness of only working when they feel like it.

A  person who is a natural leader will go from good to great when they embody courage. Leaders need to be willing to step into the unknown, and courage amplifies that. At the same time, being courageous overcomes giving in to fear, and instead, acts in spite of fear.

Someone who is naturally confident will strengthen this feeling when they take responsibility. Each time they take ownership it will grant them an empowering feeling. At the same time, taking ownership prevents a common pitfall of a person’s confidence from transforming into arrogance.

A person whose gift is charisma will strengthen their influence with others when they embody integrity. At the same time, a weakness associated with charismatic people, being superficial or manipulative, will be put to rest when others see consistency in character.

Every time a person is resilient it’ll strengthen resolve and conviction to overcome the next obstacle. At the same time, it’ll combat the weakness of self-pity and feeling defeated.

A person that is gifted in mentoring others will be an even better coach when they embody humility. Being humble fosters continual self-education and mastery in a field while overcoming the common pitfall of becoming a ‘know it all.’

When you develop a quality, simultaneously it fuels a strength and seals up a weakness.

The Hero’s Journey

The hero will eventually come at odds with their limitations that not even their mighty strengths can save them from. But in the end, it’s the qualities that save them. The hero may be given wise advice, discover new strategies, or gain insight to overcome personal demons to rise above their challenge.

The hero needs humility to come to terms that their strengths alone cannot defeat their foe. A period of time when all hope seems to be lost, the hero has to persevere despite the odds. And when the stakes are at its highest, being able to trust new discoveries over natural strengths propels them to victory.

Often times the hero’s foe is even stronger than them. Perseus couldn’t even glance at Medusa. But that foe the hero eventually defeats relied on their strengths too much, which in the end, is the reason for their demise.

Perseus didn’t rely on his skillful fighting – he had to outmaneuver Medusa. He put on the Helm of Darkness to turn invisible and used the reflection of his shield to sneak up on Medusa and behead her. He didn’t need to become a better fighter, he needed a wiser strategy.

Hercules could rely on his brute strength for nearly every challenge, but once up against Hera, a goddess, he had to become something else. Hera caused him to go insane, and the only way to drive himself out of insanity was to perform a series of trials to make up for his wrongdoings. Patience, fortitude, justice – qualities Hercules didn’t have before are what made him truly heroic.

Theseus was able to rely on his strength all the way up to slaying the Minotaur, but the real foe he was up against was escaping the seemingly impossible, confusing labyrinth. Thanks to the help of Ariadne, Theseus used a ball of thread to be unraveled as he explored the labyrinth, serving as a clear, straightforward path to escape the maze seamlessly. Theseus’ physical strength carried him a long way, but his courage to enter the unknown and clever wit were qualities he could always depend on.

Principle: Focus on developing qualities over strengths

We can’t fully be on The Path if we’re leading only by our strengths. A time will come when you need to delve into the unknown, where your strengths can’t save you. You’ll need the courage, fortitude, and trust to make the jump. But if you never spend any time developing such qualities, you will retreat to a comfort zone and never tap into your purpose.

When the stakes are at its highest, the heroes remain faithful to their qualities. If they relied solely on strengths, Perseus turns to stone, Hercules is forever insane, and Theseus remains trapped in the Labyrinth. Don’t let your dreams turn to stone, don’t let your mind go insane, don’t let your Path become an endless maze. Develop qualities instead.

Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Measuring your potential based on talent rather than the qualities you possess.
• Only pursuing interests you think you’re good at.
• Thinking this post is telling you to ignore your strengths.

Key Takeaways:

• Relying on your strengths keeps you in a comfort zone and interferes with following your purpose.
• Qualities are virtues such as discipline, resilience, and humility, among many more, which elevate both strengths and weaknesses.
• A true hero eventually must face their weaknesses and find ways outside their strengths to overcome.

Taking Action:

What does your living your best life look like? Identify qualities that will help you live that life and implement them into your routine as a daily habit.