Industry Magazine Commercial Kitchen Spring 2016 | Page 19

“EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS A PLACE
TO FILL IN THE WORLD AND IS IMPORTANT IN SOME RESPECT.”
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
accompanied by important strengths. When
asked if his dyslexia has hindered his business
success, Richard Branson said “strangely, I think
my dyslexia has helped.”
Experts suggest that people with dyslexia are
often better than most at being “creative and
looking at the bigger picture” and this can make
them better strategic thinkers.
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind,
believes that some of these advantages might
result from a greater ability to use the right side
of the brain. They don’t focus on their disability.
Instead, they focus on their unique abilities.
4. ALIGNMENT - Don’t force yourself to fit in.
Find the right fit.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was
different. He had a major and obvious flaw. This
flaw made him unpopular and led to rejection
and isolation. It looked like Rudolph was
destined for a life of pain and misery, but then
the situation changed.
Rudolph discovers that his nose isn’t
really a weakness. In the right situation, a
“foggy Christmas Eve,” Rudolph’s nose is an
irreplaceable advantage. When the situation
changed, the value of his unique characteristic
changed as well. He didn’t succeed in spite of
his weakness; he succeeded because of his
weakness. Rudolph’s success was a result of a
perfect fit between his unique qualities and the
situation.
Do you want to succeed? Find your foggy
Christmas Eve. Find the right situation, the one
that offers the perfect fit between who you are
and what is required. Unlike Rudolph, we don’t
have to just wait for the right situation to come
along, we can seek it out or even create it.
If you want greater happiness, success and
fulfillment, follow these four steps.
Become aware of your unique characteristics.
Accept your weaknesses, instead of trying to fix
them. Appreciate the strengths that correspond
with each of your weaknesses. Create alignment
between who you are and what you do.

SPRING 2016

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Rendall has spoken to audiences
on every inhabited continent. His clients
include the US Air Force, the Australian
Government, AT&T, State Farm Insurance,
Ralph Lauren, and BASF. Prior to becoming a professional speaker, he was a management professor, stand-up comedian
and endurance athlete. He earned a doctor of management degree in organizational leadership, as well as a graduate
degree in psychology, and is the author of
three books:
• The Four Factors of
Effective Leadership
• The Freak Factor
• The Freak Factor for Kids

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