The Strength to Stay a Star

Most development advice has good intentions.
It wants to make you more well-rounded, more balanced, more complete.

But here’s the problem.
When you focus on fixing every weakness, you don’t become your best self.
You become a circle.

No edges.
No standouts.
Just smooth.

And people aren’t meant to be circles.

Imagine yourself as a five-pointed star.
Each tip of the star represents a strength – something you do naturally well.
Something that brings energy, confidence, results.
Between those points? Dips. Gaps. Vulnerabilities.

Traditional development says: fill them in.
Make the shape even.
Sand the edges.

But strengths-based development flips the script.
It says: amplify what’s already working.
Shine brighter where you shine best.
That’s what makes the star sharper, stronger, and more visible.

Sure, the dips are still there. But here’s the twist:
Your strengths can be used strategically.
A strong communicator can use that edge to navigate hard conversations, even if empathy isn’t their go-to.
A deep thinker can solve for detail by creating smarter systems, not becoming someone they’re not.

You don’t ignore the gaps, you light up the points. And the best part? You’re not on your own.

You don’t need to be everything to everyone.
Because the team isn’t meant to be a bunch of well-rounded individuals.
It’s meant to be a collection of stars.
Each shining in different ways.
Each filling in the dips of someone else.

When we all try to be circles, we blur into the background.
When we stay stars, we become a constellation.

So hold your shape.
Sharpen your strengths.
And let others shine too.