One Sentence That Changed My Creative Career

I have a friend; his name is Adrian. He’s my go-to when I’m stuck. A few years back, I was frustrated with my oversight—we’ve all been there. I can only imagine how many times my team has gotten frustrated with me 🫣 Bless, haha. Anyway, I went to him, and he told me this one sentence that changed my career forever.

He said, “Amplify your leader’s strengths and cover their weaknesses.”

I don’t know if he came up with that on his own, but man, that one sentence unlocked something in me that I’ll be forever grateful for. I’ve been elevated, promoted, and supported incredibly simply by applying this. I’ve also been healthier, happier, and have learned how to convert frustration into fuel for growth.

Here’s how I’ve done it:

01 — I’ve identified my leader’s strengths.

What are they good at consistently? What makes them happy? What is something they do quickly or effortlessly?

02 — I’ve identified my leader’s weaknesses.

It’s okay to identify this. We all have them. You’ll need to know them so you can fill them. Ask yourself, what is something they do frequently that affects my productivity?

03 — I’ve identified which strengths of mine I can apply to their weaknesses.

Find what you’re good at that can help them. Do it consistently.

The key is to pick up on the patterns.

Here’s an example:

My leader is great at: copy, ideation, strategy

My leader is not so great at: management, organization, documenting

Sometimes when they get new project info, it doesn’t make it to me and it affects my workflow.

I've noticed that I’m good at organization and documentation. I can help ensure project notes make it to me by asking more questions, setting up a touchpoint, or simply asking for their notes directly.

Your leader will notice it and appreciate it. If you’re consistent with it, you’ll be preferred and trusted. That all leads to more opportunity for you.

Let me know how it goes!