Imagine that you would start a business to compete with Coca-Cola. Your product has the following characteristics: It’s more expensive, it comes in a smaller size, and the taste is dreadful.
In his entertaining and insightful book Alchemy, Rory Sutherland reveals that this was the exact business model of Red Bull. All those negatives actually made Red Bull stand apart from everything else.
When applied to specific circumstances, negatives can be a catalyst to become more successful. I call these negative virtues.
Winston Churchill had a sharp tongue, was often blunt, and exhibited blockheaded stubbornness in the face of overwhelming odds. This made him the perfect war-time leader. However, these same characteristics are less helpful when the world is a more peaceful, cooperative and diplomatic place.
If the circumstances are right, your negative virtues can often give you huge benefits.
We love to focus on our strengths and our positives. Let’s think differently for a moment: Where do you actually do your best work because of your negative character traits?