Melville's great white whale, Moby Dick, is perhaps the best-known metaphor in American literature. In the eponymous novel, the whale is not only the object of Captain Ahab's obsession, but it also represents that which he cannot have, no matter how hard he tries. Ahab's obsession with the great white whale is what ultimately leads to his downfall. Not only does the whale win in the end game, but the entire crew of the Pequod, including Ahab himself, die as a result of his compulsive drive to capture the elusive creature.

Moby Dick is a novel that addresses the common human experience of desiring that which we cannot have or that which does not exist. Ponce de Leon traipsed around Florida looking for the fountain of youth. Cervantes' antihero Don Quixote chased windmills across Castilla y La Mancha during Spain's golden era. But what do any of these, let alone a classic 19th century American novel have to do with 21st century business practices? Much, actually.

From my vantage point as a career coach, I can say with certainty that far too many managers spend their time chasing their personal white whales rather than focusing on the strengths that their people have. In recruiting circles, this is referred to as the "purple squirrel" or "unicorn" syndrome. These terms refer to mystical candidates who have every single criterion a management team could dream up. A purple squirrel or unicorn candidate may also possess an overly specific skill set that does not exist in reality. Think of some of the job descriptions that are out there. An employer wants someone with five years of experience on a software that's been around for two years, speaks fluent Cantonese, has a Ph.D. in discrete mathematics and another Ph.D. in comparative literature. Yes, that's obviously hyperbole, but I once worked with someone whose recruiting requirements were as follows: JD and/or MBA, experience in the area of securities law/litigation, must have experience in Wall Street investment banking, all for the salary offered by a publisher. This person did not exist, indeed not for the compensation being offered, and as a result, many qualified, eager, apt candidates were excluded.

Similarly, I've seen many cases in which a manager focuses on what her team is lacking, rather than spending time developing peoples' strengths. No one is perfectly balanced and well-rounded. Even da Vinci -- literally, THE renaissance man -- had gaps in his competency! Can you imagine someone saying, "Yeah, Leonardo, you're an awesome polymath, great at sculpture, mathematics, and human anatomy, but you really should consider going to university and completing your degree?" But this is what too many managers do. They have people on their teams who are great in some areas, and not so great -- but generally competent -- in others, and rather than building on those strengths, they focus on areas that "need" improvement. I would argue that in many cases, there is no "need" for improvement at all.

There is a need for better management and visionary leadership. Someone may be a great negotiator and consummate networker, but this same person may have a decades-long fear of being called to the board to solve for X (or any other letter, for that matter). Although said team member can competently put together a P&L when necessary, and can understand a financial report, he's never going to calculate algorithms or create predictive analytics models. And that is okay. Rather than telling your math-phobic team member that he needs to improve his analytic skills, it would be far better to capitalize on the soft skills that he clearly possesses. When people are encouraged and praised for doing what they love and what they're good at, they perform at a higher level. Give up on the idea of the perfectly well-rounded team member, and instead, strive for a well-rounded team, whose members' strengths complement each other.

The quest for the white whale, the elusive windmills, eternal youth, or the purple squirrel is an exercise in futility. None of them exist in the real world. Rather than pining for what you cannot and don't have, look toward the amazing talents that you do have!

Debra Wheatman, CPRW, CPCC is the founder and owner of Careers Done Write a professional branding and marketing company. Debra's company provides full-service career consulting and writing services to help clients stand out in a hyper-competitive environment to secure interviews and ultimately offers of full-time employment. She may be reached directly via her site at careersdonewrite.com. Follow Debra's social media Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.