Exposing weaknesses is a strength

Is it ok to admit your own weaknesses? This has been a question posed many times to which I reply a resounding YES – providing you learn from them! I recently included an example of just this in a talk on Networking for the Institution of Civil Engineers at Writtle.

When networking I encourage people to decide who you want to meet in advance of the event. While attending the National Speakers Associationconference in Orlando this July, I did just that. I wanted to meet Zig Ziglar. So on the Sunday morning I got up really early to go to the morning worship….and there was Zig at the front of the room. I’d included one of his quotes in my booklet on The Confidence Factor and gave him a copy – only I didn’t know what to say…….there was me, tongue tied, in front of Zig Ziglar!

So what went wrong? My goal was to meet him – I hadn’t thought through what I would say when I did! Thankfully Zig was most understanding and when I went up for a second time he agreed to have his photo taken with me. Wow, what a lovely inspirational man he is.

In admitting this at the ICE conference I showed my own weaknesses, which showed my human side, I was no longer just a presenter, and turned it into a strength.