Traits you see as flaws can work for you, because once you admit and direct them, impatience, stubbornness, sensitivity and the rest become tools for success instead of obstacles. If you could change one personality trait, which would it be? The one that got you into trouble, left you embarrassed and that you wish were not part of you?
The argument here is that trying to lock these traits away is a mistake. Admit them, embrace them and aim them, and they start working for you instead of against you. Below are the flaws covered in the script, each with a way to put it to use.
Watch the full video here, or skip to the breakdown below.
The flaws at a glance
- You’re impatient
- You’re a huge procrastinator
- You’re risk averse and scared of taking chances
- You’re stubborn
- You’re competitive and always want to win
- You’re a sensitive person in a cut-throat world
- You overthink everything
- You’re impulsively defensive
- Insecurity
- Perfectionism
1. You’re impatient
Impatient people want rapid results, which can rub lazier, more relaxed people the wrong way. But those people are not the ones who will lift your success.
Impatience is a catalyst for quick decisions and urgent progress on projects and investments. Fast work does not mean poor work, which is a myth. If something is not done well, that has to do with the person doing it. With talent, work ethic and time, you can deliver quality much faster than others.
Be first to market, first to create the product or first to deliver the proposal. People remember whoever is first, so be first and be good.
2. You’re a huge procrastinator
Even the team has spoken often about the pitfalls of procrastination. But it is an inevitable part of working. We spend energy fighting it, feel guilty, install productivity tools, and then do it anyway.
So maybe the approach is wrong. What if procrastination is time for subconscious idea development? If you structure that downtime right, it can generate creativity and solutions, and lead to creative breakthroughs.
3. You’re risk averse and scared of taking chances
The team loves a little risk and has long said that to get a chance you have to take one. But if the thought of taking a chance scares you, that does not mean you will never reach your goals.
Being risk averse usually means you feel you lack information, so information gathering is your superpower. Gather as much as you can, look at all the avenues, think through the problems you could face and prepare solutions. Then any risk you take is calculated, and your decisions are smarter and more sustainable. Caution is a gateway to being thorough and strategic, and that is how you acquire secure, high-quality assets.
4. You’re stubborn
Stubbornness looks like a lack of flexibility: you think your way is right and do not weigh other views. Colleagues find it annoying. Yet it is also a firm adherence to your values and goals, and if those are strong, there is nothing wrong with sticking to them.
Reframe it as resolute determination. It helps you push past obstacles and stay focused on long-term goals. You may miss perspectives, but the same quality helps you hold your vision against scepticism, which is how people set new benchmarks. People initially pushed back against Coco Chanel’s unique style. Had she listened, women’s fashion would look very different.
5. You’re competitive and always want to win
Competitiveness is a powerful motivator and a driving force for innovation and excellence, so do not stifle it. Society makes us feel slightly ashamed of it because it makes others uncomfortable, but it pushes you to create better products, find better ideas and deliver quality projects.
It can be off-putting, partly because of an air of arrogance and partly because it makes people face the fact that they are coasting. Be proud of it, but do not throw it in people’s faces, since you need a loyal, strong network. Let it drive your energy, but tint the windows a little.
6. You’re a sensitive person in a cut-throat world
In business, sensitivity can look like weakness. But it gives you a great capacity for empathy, which means a deeper knowledge of what customers and clients need and want. You can put yourself in their shoes, speak to them the way they want to be spoken to and deliver what they actually need.
Sensitivity works as an emotional intelligence tool for predicting what clients want. The smoothest salesman may seem confident to the point of arrogance, but underneath he is highly sensitive and uses that to talk to customers as equals. That builds satisfaction, rapport and loyalty. Merge sensitivity with confidence and you have a winning combination.
7. You overthink everything
Everyone knows an overthinker whose analysis delays projects and causes missed deadlines. This is analysis by paralysis, and redeeming qualities are hard to spot.
Yet Warren Buffett was known as a perpetual overthinker. He did not try to be impulsive. He channelled it into becoming a deep thinker, which let him drop the paralysis and keep the analytical strength. That is how he identifies undervalued companies with a moat, a unique advantage that fends off competition and keeps them profitable long term. His philosophy also leans toward sound management and sustainable business models.
He can do that only because he spends so much time studying the company, and he can do that only because he embraced his talent for thinking deeply instead of copying his peers. Direct your overthinking and it gives you deeper understanding and better-prepared strategies than anyone else.
8. You’re impulsively defensive
Imagine a manager saying a report is unacceptable, full of errors, or sloppy. Managers should communicate better, but it happens. If your knee-jerk reaction is to reject the feedback, make excuses, counter-criticise or withdraw, you are impulsively defensive. You are shielding your ego from perceived attack.
Defensiveness shows you are engaged and care about your performance and how others see your work. It comes from a desire to be seen as excellent. The shift is to see feedback as a tool for being the best. Be strategic instead of lashing out:
- Ask for examples.
- Ask your manager how they would have done it and what they would change.
- Go through each criticised part, write steps for improving it and ask for clear, precise expectations.
This gives you a chance to improve, shows effort and reveals whether the criticism is valid. If they cannot give examples or explain what they want, the script’s view is that nothing you do will satisfy them, and the problem is them rather than you.
9. Insecurity
As you get older you notice that few people live between insecurity and arrogance. Most are one or the other, and many arrogant people are masking insecurity. For some, insecurity seeps into relationships, career, business prospects and networking.
But insecure people are always seeking to improve. You make it your mission to overcome weaknesses and build strengths. Lack of confidence forces you to prepare more and notice small details, and those habits make you very good at what you do.
Meryl Streep is considered one of the greatest actresses ever, yet has always doubted her talent, and the doubt pushes her to prepare rigorously. Maya Angelou openly spoke about insecurity and imposter syndrome, and used those feelings to work harder and dive deeper, which is part of why her work had such impact. Insecurity does not mean you are not good. It can push you to be great.
10. Perfectionism
The classic answer to the job interview question about your greatest flaw. It counts as a real flaw if you are the perfectionist. Your standards are high and you never see yourself reaching them. Nothing is good enough, so you struggle to start and to finish. You carry stress and anxiety, and your expectations of others strain relationships.
Once a perfectionist gets off the ground, though, they are unstoppable. The strategy is simple. Before starting, set a realistic goal, specific enough that you know when you have reached it. Then look at what others have done and ask whether you could do better, whether someone has made something you would be happy with, and how they got there. That tells you whether your goal is realistic.
You cannot just start, because you will keep adding to your plate forever. Know your destination and you can find the fastest, best and most scenic route.
Direct the trait instead of fighting it
Across all ten, the pattern repeats: each flaw has a useful side once you stop hiding it and learn to direct it. The goal is to make these traits work for you instead of against you.
The video promised 15 flaws and covered 10 here, with the remaining five reserved for the Alux app.
FAQ
Can your flaws help you succeed?
Yes. If you can admit, embrace and appreciate perceived flaws, you can direct them so they work for you. The script treats them as secret superpowers.
How can procrastination be useful?
It can be a period of subconscious idea development. If you structure that downtime right, it can lead to creative breakthroughs and innovative solutions.
How do you use being risk averse to your advantage?
Use it to gather information. Look at all avenues, think through possible problems and prepare solutions, so that when you do take a risk it is a calculated one.
How can a perfectionist get started?
Set a realistic, specific goal before you start. Look at what others have produced to check the goal is realistic, so you know your destination and can find the best route.
Why is insecurity not always a weakness?
Insecure people keep trying to improve, prepare more and notice small details. Meryl Streep and Maya Angelou are cited as people who used doubt to work harder.
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