Is it Better to Focus on Improving Your Weaknesses or Your Strengths?

If you had one hour a day to dedicate toward improving a certain skill or leveling up in a certain area, would you focus on something you may not be particularly strong in or dedicate time to grow in an area you already excel at?

Todd Horvath, President of U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), discusses this compelling question while reflecting on his career journey and thinking about what he might have done differently if he were to go back in time.

Todd’s answer may surprise you. Watch here as he shares his thoughts on this question. 

Todd studied psychology at the University of California San Diego and had his start working in business for a human capital management company. He then earned his MBA in International Business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and his career path sent him around the globe, including various states within the U.S., the Netherlands, China, the Czech Republic, and Venezuela.

In his current role, Todd leads the charge to leverage our differentiated data assets, technology and analytics to create solutions that drive financial opportunity for businesses and consumers.

He considers himself a “people person”. And this trait has been a common thread woven throughout his career as he draws on his passion for helping people grow, by adding value during customer interactions, leading teams, or mentoring individuals.

Is there anything you would tell your younger self knowing what you do now when it comes to career growth?

There is a lot I would probably love to tell myself, but one of the things I learned throughout my career is to say “yes.” 

Oftentimes, an opportunity comes your way, and you may not feel certain that you're ready for it, that you can do it, or that you'll be successful in it. These opportunities sometimes come with some risk or ambiguity.

But I found that, unless you're 100% sure that the risk is too great, you should go for it. Life's too short. Say yes and go for it, because that means there's probably somebody out there who sees something in you that you might not know about yourself. There's a reason why they're asking you to take on that opportunity.

And most of the time, if you just lean into it, you'll be successful. So that's something that I think is really important and will confront us all some time in our career. So if you say “yes,” I find most times that that's the right answer. 

Learn more about available opportunities at Equifax.