A friend and I always have discussions on how we have so much on our plates in our respective offices because we’ve been labeled as jack of all trades. This label has come from us volunteering to do additional projects, at other times going above and beyond on our regular work, or from just being pretty driven and having leadership recognize that.

From my perspective it’s made me well versed and at times has made me feel like a rockstar. But then it’s also become a distraction because in doing so many things I can’t always focus on that one thing that I REALLY want to be great at. I’ve found that because I am spread so thin in the office at times I really pour my passion into my freelance work, which can be great but again, adds to the “too capable” issue.

I was on linked in yesterday and came across this post from Greg McKeown called “The #1 Career Mistake Capable People Make.” I found it interesting and reading it I had a few “aha moments.”

Here is one of the stand out excerpts from it.

The slightly painful truth is, at any one time there is only one piece of real estate we can “own” in another person’s mind. People can’t think of us as a project manager, professor, attorney, insurance agent, editor and entrepreneur all at exactly the same time. They may all be true about us but people can only think of us as one thing first.

That alone made me think what is the one title that I am striving to have. And also would I be satisfied with just one, or am I happy being too capable.

You can read the rest of the article on LinkedIn, but I’d love to get your opinion.

Tell me your thoughts. Is there such thing as being “too capable?”