Left-handed or Right-handed?

Which hand do you prefer? Are you right-handed or left-handed and how does it relate to being a good leader?

If you are spending the majority of your time and energy working from your weaker hand, you are half as strong as you could be. I am not talking about physical work here, but rather your skill set.

Some of you left-handers are saying to yourself that you are smarter than the ‘righties.’ It is a natural feeling of getting even with a world biased to right-handed living. However, whichever side you land on in this silly debate, realize this: you need both hands. While some people are truly ambidextrous, most of us lean to using one hand over the other, and the other hand supports the main.

The fact is that you will perform better while using your preferred hand. If you are right-handed, a left-handed signature looks childish to the reader. If you play tennis with your left hand, your right will lower your scores instantly.

The same is true as a leader. What are you right- or left-handed in? What roles are currently falling in your primary preferred skills versus your secondary, average skills?

Let me give you an example…

For the past two years I have been working to turn around a company we acquired and build it to be the leader in the marketplace. While we have a long way to go, we have made some significant progress. In the process I spent the last two years working with my left hand, in operational structure. That is not what I am best at, but it was important for the company for a season.

However, that season has changed. Because I am right-handed, the company needs me to use my primary hand more. I am naturally more gifted with alliance building, content development and strategic planning. I needed someone to take over my left-handed duties. That is when the decision was made to bring in a COO to take over the things I am not as strong at. In the short time since we hired our new COO we have already seen progress from the decision because of her playing in her strengths and me leading with my more gifted hand.

Now, back to you. What hand are you currently using? Is it your primary hand? If so, keep moving forward. If not, make changes as soon as you can for your benefit and for the benefit of those around you.

Posted on May 27, 2009 in Leader Development