Wisdom Nugget: Entrepreneurs know your weaknesses!

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2008-11-13 06:58:00 UTC
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Talking about the value of LinkedIn key feature "Recommendations," LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman said:

"If you look at my profile…you'll notice a thread. I've got 39 recommendations. They all say things like "brilliant," "dealmaker," "collaborator." But none of them say "excellent at process." None of them say the "best manager." None of them say the things I'm not so good at. You can actually see the shadow."

I think there's a wisdom nugget there. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to know not just what you're good at, but where you flop. Whether your enterprise is social or financial, you need to have a level of self-awareness that demands you surround yourself with folks with complimentary strengths. In today's world especially, there's nothing more important than the team. Lose the pride, figure out what you suck at, build from there.

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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