1. Deciphering your Superstar Code
Question 1 : “What makes me TICK” ?
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To recap : we all have an Innate Success Formula. I call it our “Superstar Code”
It is best unpacked and understood when we answer these 3 questions
- What makes one TICK? What are your natural strengths, passions, and interests in life? These are the assets that one can always leverage.
- What natural assets can I use to CLICK in life? What natural strengths, passions, and interests can I leverage to achieve my goals, overcome barriers and challenges, etc.?
- What natural assets can I use to STICK to whatever course I have chosen (naturally sustaining my decisions and not giving up prematurely)?
More than a decade ago, across 20 different workshops covering families, individuals, corporate teams etc, I tested this framework to help the participants conclude the workshop with a good sense of their own Superstar Code.
Back then, I knew that the quality of instigation (as participants pointed out my connecting of dots of their life data that was staring at them without making these new connections) led to the kind of outcomes in the workshop. This led to a creative challenge and frustration for me. I realised that in a book ( which was the original idea), people would answer these questions with the same “frame of mind” and not end up making those connections which could be transformative. I wished out aloud to some friends in tech who wanted to help me scale it that there should be technology which could connect the dots intuitively ( with rigour) the way I did in those workshops, thus scaling up the impact that was just not possible through intensive personally conducted day long workshops.
I believe that the technology is here. Generative AI / Large Language models like Chat GPT , I think can connect the dots in unprecedented ways and given the right prompts, help life journey explorers leverage their innate powers at scale and impact like never before !
The code unlocking questions were part of the first version of the Superstar Code Canvas — which kept evolving workshop after workshop ! Yes, this was inspired by Alex Osterwalder’s Business model canvas ( I had attended his workshop in 2011 in Boston and was keen to translate it to this effort !)
Getting the data for the Canvas involved a lot of rigour.
Self-observation + Feedback from your diverse ecosystem (friends, family, work etc to get a holistic picture) and a psychometric tool called Emergenetics which points out one’s natural preferences on how we like to think and behave. This data would be collected and ready at the workshop's beginning.
The fundamental blocks for “what makes me tick” were inspired by Jim Collins’ famous Hedgehog principle of identifying your sweet spot- what you are good at ( according to you) + what the world says you are good at ( via feedback), + your passions and interests. The idea is that sometimes we may be good at something (skills), but it may not be a passion or what we love. The sweet spot is having an asset that is both a skill and something we love, which we and the world outside perceive. That is a true building block of your superstar code. The hedgehog concept is also known to many today via the Japanese Ikigai Venn diagram.
The focus of this post is to realise that today, without the power of that workshop and the week-long rigour to get the data ready for the workshop, I think that Generative AI can crunch time and give us richer building blocks. This is a working hypothesis. I want to explore and collaborate to figure out how exactly.
Just a quick prompt to Bing gave me this output on how to answer the three questions :
“Hello, this is Bing. I can help you with your request. Based on the current web page context and web search results, here are some possible steps and strategies to arrive at an individual’s innate success formula or “The Superstar Code” and spell out strategies to answer each of these questions:
1. What makes one TICK? You need to identify your natural strengths, passions and interests to answer this question. You can always leverage these assets to achieve your goals and overcome challenges. Some possible strategies to find your natural strengths are:
- Interview your friends and loved ones who know you well and ask them what they think are your natural strengths and talents².
- Identify moments of flow when you are fully immersed and engaged in an activity you enjoy and excel at².
- Take a strength-finding quiz or assessment, such as the Strengths Finder⁴, that can help you discover your strengths based on your personality traits, skills, and talents³.
2. What natural ASSETS can I use to CLICK in life? To answer this question, you need to apply your natural strengths, passions and interests to the situations and opportunities you encounter. Find ways to use your assets to create value, solve problems, and positively impact. Some possible strategies to use your assets to click in life are:
- Align your goals with your strengths, passions and interests. Choose meaningful and challenging goals for you and allow you to use your assets effectively¹.
- Seek feedback and guidance from others with similar or complementary strengths, passions and interests. Learn from their experiences and insights, and ask for their support and advice¹.
- Experiment with activities and environments that match or enhance your strengths, passions and interests. Try new things, explore new possibilities, and discover what works best for you¹.
3. What natural ASSETS can I use to STICK to my chosen course? To answer this question, you need to sustain your motivation and commitment to the path that you have chosen in life. Finding ways to keep yourself engaged, inspired, and resilient would be best. Some possible strategies to use your assets to stick to your course are:
- Celebrate your achievements and progress. Recognize how far you have come, how much you have learned, and how much you have contributed by using your assets¹.
- Seek challenges and opportunities for growth. Look for ways to improve your skills, expand your knowledge, and stretch your potential using your assets¹.
- Connect with others who share your vision and values. Join communities, groups, or networks that support your goals and aspirations and appreciate your assets¹.
This helps you activate your Superstar Code. 😊”
