You Can't Be Someone Else's Greatness
Jun 05, 2026
A few weeks ago my friend Lori told me about a great new book she read, so of course I had to check it out. Jim Collins' newest book: What to Make of a Life, is absolutely worth a read.
If you're familiar with Collins, you probably know him from books like Good to Great, Built to Last or How the Mighty Fall. His work has helped shape the way leaders think about organizations, strategy, and sustained excellence.
But What to Make of a Life is different.
It's personal. It's reflective and one concept in particular grabbed my attention: the idea of encodings.
Collins describes encodings as the deep wiring within us; the natural inclinations, interests, talents, and motivations that seem to have been present long before we had a job title, business card, or leadership position.
In other words, who were you before the world started telling you who you should be?
The Danger of Living Someone Else's Life
Many leaders spend years chasing success based on someone else's definition. We pursue positions because they look impressive. We take on responsibilities because we think we should. We follow paths that make sense on paper. Then one day we find ourselves successful but strangely unfulfilled. Why? Because achievement and alignment aren't always the same thing.
I've met leaders who were incredibly accomplished but exhausted because they were operating outside their natural wiring. They had built careers around expectations instead of encodings. The result is often frustration, burnout, or a lingering feeling that something is missing.
Meanwhile, I've met people who seem to have endless energy for what they do. Their work isn't always easy, but it fits who they are. I’m grateful to be in that position. My work is crazy hard most days. I’m frustrated A LOT, but I LOVE what I get to do. I serve communities and people and there’s nothing I’d rather do. The key word there is GET. I didn’t say I HAVE to do it. I GET to do it. It’s a privilege. I’m operating from my wiring. Are you?
Look for the Clues
One of the practical lessons I took from Collins' work is that your encodings often leave clues throughout your life. Think back to childhood. What activities absorbed your attention? What problems did you naturally try to solve? What did people consistently ask you for help with? What energized you before money, promotions, and performance evaluations entered the picture?
For me, leadership development, teaching, encouraging people, and helping others navigate challenges have always shown up in one form or another and doing it creatively. As a third grader I won my first essay contest and made dolls out of socks, yarn and scraps of materials. I wrote plays that I would direct my friends in. I’ve been a coach since elementary school.
The platforms have changed. The audience has changed. The tools have changed. But the core wiring has remained remarkably consistent.
That's how encodings work. The expression evolves, but the foundation stays the same.
Stop Comparing Your Wiring to Someone Else's
One of the fastest ways to become ineffective is trying to lead like someone you're not. Some leaders are visionary. Some are operational. Some thrive on innovation. Others excel at developing people. Some love being on stage. Others create incredible impact behind the scenes.
The goal isn't to become someone else. The goal is to become the best version of who you're designed to be. Leadership isn't a copy-and-paste exercise. It's an alignment exercise. When your strengths, values, and work begin to align, your effectiveness grows dramatically.
Three Practical Ways to Discover Your Encodings
1. Pay Attention to Your Energy
Most people focus on what they're good at. I think it's equally important to pay attention to what energizes you. There are activities that leave you drained even when you're successful. There are other activities that leave you energized even when they're difficult. The second category often points toward your wiring.
This week, ask yourself:
- What work gives me energy?
- What work consistently drains me?
- When do I lose track of time because I'm fully engaged?
The answers are revealing.
2. Look for Patterns, Not Moments
Don't focus on isolated successes. Look for recurring themes. What strengths have shown up repeatedly throughout your life? What compliments have you heard for years? What opportunities seem to keep finding you? Patterns reveal more than isolated achievements. Your encodings are usually visible in decades, not days.
3. Build Your Life Around Your Strengths
Too many people spend their lives trying to fix every weakness. There are caveats here. You can improve some weaknesses. I wasn’t good at math in school but I’m AWESOME WITH A BUDGET. That took work, but I took a weakness and turned it into a strength. However, I’ll NEVER be an accountant. See the difference?
The leaders who make extraordinary contributions usually aren't well-rounded in everything. They're exceptionally developed in the areas where they are naturally gifted. Spend more time becoming world-class at what you're uniquely wired to do.
The Leadership Challenge
One of the greatest responsibilities of leadership is helping others discover and develop their own wiring. This is one of my favorite things to do. Great leaders don't force everyone into the same mold. They recognize unique strengths. They create opportunities for people to thrive. They help team members find the intersection of their talent and passion.
When people understand their encodings, they stop trying to become someone else. They start becoming more of who they already are and that's where remarkable impact begins. The world doesn't need another copy of someone else's success story.
It needs people who understand how they're wired and have the courage to fully live it. The question isn't simply, What are you going to make of your life? The deeper question may be:
What were you wired to make of it in the first place?
I hope you’ll use this information to share with your team to help them grow and develop in the deep wiring that exists within each of them. The world needs each of us to be who we were created to be, not some social media imitator.
Thanks Lori for the great book recommendation.