Always double down on your strengths. That’s your superpower. This is well-trodden advice and it’s correct.

But what about your weaknesses?

There are two types:

Weaknesses you tolerate. You accept them, work around them, delegate them, or throw money at them. You don’t spend energy trying to become great at something that doesn’t matter enough. You just need it handled.

Weaknesses you shore up. These are the ones where there’s a tactical or strategic reason to improve. Maybe the weakness is blocking a strength from reaching its full potential. Maybe the cost of working around it has gotten too high. Maybe the landscape shifted and what was tolerable is now a liability.

The hard part is figuring out which is which. Most people either try to fix everything or accept everything. The skill is in being self-aware of your weaknesses and bucketing them into the above. Get advice. Ask for help. Audit your support network.

Most people never do the bucketing. That’s a weakness worth shoring up.