--- title: Elevating Your Weakest Point description: Every single person needs to figure themselves out before they figure out the rest of the world, let alone the organizations they support, serve, or lead image: https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hubfs/Evening%20view%20from%20the%20Vista%20House%2c%20Columbia%20River%20Gorge%2c%20Oregon..jpeg --- ![www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI Logo (New)DGI Logo - Landscape-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png?width=200&height=93&name=www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png) ![www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI Logo (New)DGI Logo - Landscape-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png?width=200&height=93&name=www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png) ![www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI Logo (New)DGI Logo - Landscape-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png?width=200&height=93&name=www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png) - [ABOUT US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - What is Process Consulting? - [MEET US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - Areas of Specialty - Meet Our Process Consultants - Meet our Partners and Senior Consultants - Meet our Consultants - [Maestro-level leaders](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Society for Process Consulting](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Culture Change Leadership](https://www.acausegreater.org/) - [BE A CONSULTANT ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - Explore Process Consulting - Community of Practice - Shared Platform - [BE CREDENTIALED](https://linktr.ee/MaestroSuiteAdvisors) - [RESOURCES ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - Blog Library - Books - Podcasts - Cohorts - Case Studies - [ABOUT US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - What is Process Consulting? - [MEET US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - Areas of Specialty - Meet Our Process Consultants - Meet our Partners and Senior Consultants - Meet our Consultants - [Maestro-level leaders](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Society for Process Consulting](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Culture Change Leadership](https://www.acausegreater.org/) - [BE A CONSULTANT ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - Explore Process Consulting - Community of Practice - Shared Platform - [BE CREDENTIALED](https://linktr.ee/MaestroSuiteAdvisors) - [RESOURCES ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/javascript;) - Blog Library - Books - Podcasts - Cohorts - Case Studies Get Started # Elevating Your Weakest Point ![Lon L. Swartzentruber](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hubfs/Consultant%20Headshots%20(NEW)/Lon%20L.%20Swartzentruber%20Headshot%20(300x300).png) by [Lon L. Swartzentruber](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/author/lon-swartzentruber) June 21, 2021 ![Evening view from the Vista House, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Evening%20view%20from%20the%20Vista%20House%2c%20Columbia%20River%20Gorge%2c%20Oregon..jpeg?width=525&name=Evening%20view%20from%20the%20Vista%20House%2c%20Columbia%20River%20Gorge%2c%20Oregon..jpeg) In golf they often say, the best players elevate their weakest point. For some it is making sure they drive the ball in the right spot on the fairway, for others it’s getting the ball up and down from around the green, for others it’s hitting the back of the cup consistently from three feet out.  Whatever *it *is*,* working on *it* and consistently improving *it* will elevate* it* and lower your score. So, is it the same with your leadership? Great question! About nine months into the pandemic, say around January of 2021, something very interesting happened to a client of mine. All of a sudden, he was challenged to pay attention to the details he was accustomed to managing. It was almost like he didn’t care about them anymore. Yet, he is a very caring individual, the core of who he is hasn’t changed. So, what’s up? As we talked it through, he shared a few stories of how some of these details were catching up with him…he hadn't forgot about them. It was just that his focus was somewhere else. It was on growing the company, thinking about the revenue that was a year or two off, who his new customers will be, and the future value of the company he led.  That seemed like a good thing to me. I asked, ‘So, why are you caring about *those *details, this new set sounds pretty important? He pondered that and retorted, ‘because that is what people are familiar with me caring about and taking care of’ And? I asked. ‘Well, they will be disappointed in me. They might be thinking that I don’t care about those details anymore’, he said. 'I need to focus on *those* details too.' Insert…I need to **elevate my weakest point**. Seriously? Every single person, every single one, needs to figure themselves out before they figure out the rest of the world, let alone the organizations they support, serve, or lead. My client was changing and he was in the process of figuring out his new leadership gear. When you walk alongside a leader, it doesn't get any more exciting than this! Back to learning about his ‘weakest point.’ Sometimes, our weakest point is not what you think it might be. For my friend, he thought it was about not focusing on (or caring about) a certain type of detail. It turned out to be something, very … very different. He was worried about what people were thinking about him. He thought they might question the decisions he was making, where he was spending his time, and what he was focusing on. Something to elevate that was very different than what he thought he needed to elevate.  Now we are getting somewhere.    ![March Post - DGI Blog Post Image (1)](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/March%20Post%20-%20DGI%20Blog%20Post%20Image%20(1).png?width=525&name=March%20Post%20-%20DGI%20Blog%20Post%20Image%20(1).png) At Design Group International we often talk about listening to clients and how to do it really, really well. It is by listening to our clients that we are able to partner with them to co-create help that serves their learning.  Now that is something worth focusing on. If you would like to talk about what you would like to elevate, please feel free to [schedule a high-value 30-minute discovery call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/lons?__hstc=117278873.564c5a770dc5a48fb86e6bef07657de3.1593005386478.1620161661048.1621112200727.216&__hssc=117278873.7.1621112200727&__hsfp=391747837) with me. I'd be honored to listen. As always, please feel free to call me at 616.516.9870 or email me at [lons@designgroupintl.com](mailto:lons@designgroupintl.com).   *Walking alongside you, *![Lon Signature](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lon%20Signature.png?width=128&name=Lon%20Signature.png) [![Lon S - Consultant Images - 300x300](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lon%20S%20-%20Consultant%20Images%20-%20300x300.png?width=86&name=Lon%20S%20-%20Consultant%20Images%20-%20300x300.png)Lon L. Swartzentruber](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/about-lon-l-swartzentruber) *CEO, Design Group International* *Senior Design Partner *   ###### Tags: [process consulting, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/process-consulting) [capital campaigns, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/capital-campaigns) [donor clarity, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/donor-clarity) [Design Group International, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/design-group-international) [Fundraising, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/fundraising) [a cause greater, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/a-cause-greater) [donor relationships, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/donor-relationships) [leading organizational change, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/leading-organizational-change) [donor development, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/donor-development) [listening, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/listening) [helping, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/helping) [learning, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/learning) [organizational consulting, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/organizational-consulting) [relationships, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/relationships) [Enneagram, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/enneagram) [A Cause Greater Blog](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/topic/a-cause-greater-blog) ![Lon L. Swartzentruber](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hubfs/Consultant%20Headshots%20(NEW)/Lon%20L.%20Swartzentruber%20Headshot%20(300x300).png) Post by [Lon L. Swartzentruber](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/lon-l-swartzentruber-blog/author/lon-swartzentruber) June 21, 2021 I walk alongside leaders, listening to understand their challenges, and helping them lead healthy organizations that flourish. [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lonswartz/) ### Comments ![A Cause Greater Blog](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/A%20Cause%20Greater%20Blog%20-%20Website%20Thumbnail.png?width=500&height=500&name=A%20Cause%20Greater%20Blog%20-%20Website%20Thumbnail.png) ##### Subscribe Now! #### A Cause Greater Blog Insights on fundamental organizational challenges and how to overcome them from Lon Swartzentruber. *Get these blogs right to your inbox.* [![Design Group International](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/_DGI%20Logo%20(New)/DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape%20w_%20Tagline_White.png?width=325&height=153&name=DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape%20w_%20Tagline_White.png) ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/) - ABOUT US - MEET US - BE A CONSULTANT - [BE CREDENTIALED](https://linktr.ee/MaestroSuiteAdvisors) - RESOURCES © 2022 Design Group International. All rights reserved. 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