When you are thinking about who you are and what you stand for, it's important to remember that uniqueness does not equal usefulness. When I interview candidates for jobs on the team I lead, I often ask folks, "What makes you the best candidate for the job?" Often, they tell me about something that makes them very unique, but not often enough are they able to tie their unique quality back to something that we can use to make our team better. The ones that are able to make that key connection are the ones I often hire.

Here's an example from my life: When I got out of the Navy, my first major at college was education. I also did field work and taught before-school and after-school programs for a variety of age groups and skill levels. If I stop here, you're probably thinking, "So what? You're a manager and public speaker now. What does this have to do with anything you do today?" And if I stopped right there, you'd be right.

I make the connection by explaining what I learned as a teacher, the ability to discipline for behavior and not the individual, the ability to take a very difficult concept and break it down into easy to understand parts, and the ability to develop and deliver a curriculum that is engaging and entertaining, and you can now see that my background in educational is perfectly suited to my roles now. Most IT professionals are not teachers by education, and most public speakers have never taught young children how to read. My uniqueness allows me to do what I do from a different angle than most people come from.

What's your uniqueness? Are you taking the time to explain that your unique blend of skills and abilities are what make you the best person to take on the challenge you're striving for? Or are you like this fork, unique but not very useful?