Turning Weaknesses Into Strengths

“Throw your weakness before God, and the Lord will be your strength” (St. Moses the Strong).

At work, you try to put forward your best self. You want to appear professional, polished, proactive, positive — and all the other qualities of an ideal co-worker, manager, employee, client, or teammate. This desire may make you regret your weaknesses, viewing them as barriers to your performance on the job and the progress of your career.

But what if you could use them to your advantage?

Maybe you struggle with staying organized, avoiding distractions, confronting others, having patience, speaking up, delegating tasks, giving or accepting feedback, or managing your time. You should be in touch with our shortcomings, but do not let them bring you down. When you reframe how you think about your challenges, you can rise above them.

In my own marketing career, I’ve struggled with spontaneity, confrontation, anxiety, and delegation among other things. I’ve learned that praying for divine confidence — God, I can’t do this on my own — gives me grace to deal with my weaknesses. Through prayer and experience, here’s how I now accept them and use them to my advantage.

Realize They Can Complement Your Strengths

Your unique strengths and weaknesses work together to make you who you are. We tend to beat ourselves up about our flaws, not viewing them in relation to our strengths. Try not to view them separately; instead, consider that without struggling in some areas, you might not excel in others.

If you didn’t internalize things, you might not be as conscientious; if you were more spontaneous, you might not be as thorough; if you were more self-contained, you might be less approachable. Not all of the things we struggle with have positive counterparts, but it’s important to recognize the ones that do.

When you think about your weaknesses and strengths as complementary, you will start to accept them as part of your identity. Both our gifts and shortcomings are God-given, so there’s a divine intent for each one — contributing to our sanctification. We should always try to improve, but we should also realize this complementary dynamic.

Use Them to Start Vulnerable Conversations

Vulnerability builds trust and creates strong workplace relationships. Share your weaknesses with your co-workers so they know what to expect when working with you. It may feel uncomfortable, but it will contribute to your team culture and productivity. When people know how to work with you, everything will become easier.

As an introvert, I take time to process new information and develop my response — articulating my thoughts in the moment is usually difficult. At the beginning of my career, I would freeze when asked to share my opinion, unable to formulate a cohesive response. I’ve become better at speaking up through experience and confidence, but it’s still a challenge.

Knowing and accepting that I struggle with spontaneity, I discuss it openly with my managers and close co-workers. This vulnerability helps them understand me better, strengthens our relationships, and leads to positive interactions. Being open about your weaknesses humanizes you, keeps you humble, and encourages others to do the same.

Humbly Acknowledge When They Cause Conflict

If a weakness causes conflict in your workplace, acknowledge it and apologize for any consequences. Self-awareness goes a long way in restoring broken bonds at work, whether circumstantial or habitual. It helps your co-workers be more forgiving, seeing that you regret certain decisions or actions and are actively working to improve.

This approach will also help others know how to react when your weaknesses flare up. I’ve been on the receiving end, and it’s helped me navigate difficult situations when I knew not to take a hot-tempered or passive-aggressive reaction personally. When you sincerely apologize for a misstep, it’s easier for everyone to move forward — including you.

Strive to Grow in Discipline and Virtue

While our weaknesses can help us through complementarity, communication, and vulnerability, let’s not forget about improving ourselves. If sainthood is our ultimate goal, we can’t be idle. Just as we work to cultivate our strengths and lean into them, we should be proactive about trying to overcome the things that hold us back professionally and personally.

Embracing your challenges doesn’t mean complacency (“It is what it is — I can’t do anything about it”) but, rather, conviction (“I can take action to improve”). Living in denial of your challenges can lead to shame as you try to hide them. It also causes conflict as they inevitably interfere with your life. So, face them with virtue, and tackle them with discipline.

Christine Warner is a marketer and writer living in Detroit. Her marketing experience includes working for brands like Uber, Samsung, Walgreens, and Dignity Health; she writes for publishers like Verily Magazine, Aleteia, Brandingmag, and Content Standard. Christine currently works for the Archdiocese of Detroit as the director of marketing. Connect with her on Twitter @cvwarner or on Instagram @christinevwarner.