The Sharpest Tool in the Shed

I’m sure you’ve heard the statement “S/he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed” which means that you think that person’s certainly not the best and the brightest in their community, field, business, office or organization.

You definitely want to be the “sharpest tool in the shed”. Do you know what it takes to be that person? What are your authentic strengths, attributes and values? How do you communicate, express or exude them?

First Steps

Here are some quick first steps to start not only being “perceived as the sharpest tool in the shed” yet to authentically BE the sharpest tool in the shed.

Discipline: Do you have the discipline to focus on what is uniquely you? Are you building your strengths and being the greatest version of you? Too many try to be great at everything and end up being mediocre at everything. Just like Tiger Woods focuses on what makes him unique so should you. Hire others who have strength areas in where you are weak but avoid diluting your actual strength. You must be willing to “dig deep and unearth the gem inside you”. And, even when you dig deep – figuring out who you are – sometimes in that extraction we don’t always pull up a polished diamond. Often, the unearthed coal, needs discipline to polish the gem to shine. Eventually, you will place this polished gem in a setting. Yet, first find out who you are as a person and what you want in your life and want to be known for.

Knowledge: To earn more you must learn more. And, earning is not always in terms of money, “richness” in life is defined many different ways. Do you have the knowledge to be the sharpest tool? It could be personal knowledge, experience, books and yes –even formal education but it does not necessarily mean formal education each and every time.  Knowledge can often be in the format of other people’s experience.

I moderate a weekly chat on Twitter known as #brandchat. Each week we discuss everything there is to talk about in branding.  From automating social media to the impact of Facebook’s 225 million users, we discuss ways to harness tools and positively engage while staying true to the corporate brand promise and even our personal brand.  Other people’s experience (OPE) and insights are as valuable as other people’s money and will develop your knowledge by giving you the opportunity to gain from their experience without having to invest the time that they did to garner that experience.

Commitment: Are you committed to your purpose or what you’re doing or do you know what that is? What is your personal purpose? What is your own belief system? What’s a good match for you? What energizes you? Do you know your vision, purpose, values and passion?

You might not know the answers to all of these questions right now yet to start to answer those will begin to “sharpen the saw” and soon you will develop yourself as the “sharpest tool in the shed”.

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