In this week’s solo episode of Burning the Ships, I’m unpacking one of the biggest mindset shifts in my leadership journey: learning to lead from strength. I break down how a single book—StrengthsFinder—radically reshaped how I manage teams, build company culture, and even how I operate day to day. This episode is for the entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders who are tired of wasting energy on weaknesses, and are ready to double down on what they do best.

From my early management days in sales to growing 608B Capital today, I share how leaning into strengths transformed morale, productivity, and business outcomes.

If you’re building a team or building yourself, this is your sign to burn the ships on weakness-fixation and go all in on what fuels you.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:02 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:20 My early days in sales and stepping into management

04:49 The mistake I made trying to “fix” people’s weaknesses

05:56 Discovering the StrengthsFinder book and its core philosophy

08:06 How focusing on weaknesses can impact an individual’s strengths

10:00 Reflecting on my weaknesses to better understand my team

12:51 A new model of leadership: energize vs. deplete

15:32 How everything changed for my team in 2015

16:45 Hiring based on energy and not just values

19:02 Partnering with Bill: A case study in complementary strengths

23:02 The creative “chaos” of ADHD as a superpower

26:24 Steph Curry, sports analogies, and playing to your strengths

Quotables

“I used to think I had to fix my team’s weaknesses. But the more I pushed them to spend energy on what drained them, the worse our results got.”

“What if instead of trying to fix what makes you miserable, you could build a life around what fills you up?”

“You don’t hire people and then hope they grow into the job. You hire people whose strengths match the role—and you let them thrive.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

StrengthsFinder

https://www.amazon.com/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Tom-Rath/dp/159562015X