7 Leadership Strengths Are Weaknesses When Taken Too Far

(Updated 11/4/2010)

Consider a few of the typical assets a leader may have: you'd say they're a good delegator, a good relationship-builder, results-oriented, decisive, etc.  Yet any of these strengths become weaknesses when relied upon too heavily or taken too far.

It's tempting to overuse what works--it's simply human nature.  So it's important to catch yourself when you do that--notice when a strength has become a weakness, and turn it back around to a positive.  To do that, you'll need some help from those you trust, and equal dashes of humility, self-awareness, and practice.

I see this dynamic -- overused strengths, and developing the ability to manage them -- in action every day as I work with my clients, and continue my own development.  Almost every executive coaching engagement I do starts with some form of feedback from colleagues about my client.  When I ask the strengths questions and later the developmental questions, often the answers are the same.

Here are the seven biggest hitters:

• Strength: A good grasp of details. When taken too far: “Spends too much time in the weeds” or is “Overly controlling” or has "trouble delegating" or "gets involved in things way below their pay grade."

• Strength: High standards. Taken too far: Perfectionism—overly demanding of self or others; drives everyone too hard for diminishing returns.  Has to have that last detail just right, even if it takes everyone down.

• Strength: Great relationship-builder.  Too far: “A schmoozer / lacks focus on getting the job done.”

• Strength: Results-oriented.  Taken too far: “Leaves a trail of bodies behind them.  Uses people up, then moves on.” All about tasks and not humanity or people or relationships.

• Strength: Strategic thinker.  Too far: “Gets us into analysis paralysis,” and “More interested in discussion than action” and "Sees the big picture but has no idea how to execute."

• Strength: Decisive.  Too far: “Overly-controlling /dictatorial” and, “Needs to be the alpha in the room.”

• Strength: Authentic. Too far: Narcissistic or arrogant, compulsively self-disclosing.

It’s like having a nice speaking voice but not realizing you’re way too loud—plain for others to hear, but not obvious to you, unless someone's willing to let you in on it. There’s no better mirror than feedback from people around you, like colleagues, clients, or family.  You can ask:

“What habits or behavior do I tend to take too far, or that get in my own way?” and “Do you notice a pattern to when or how that happens?”

Be prepared, though, because you may take a hit to the ego.  Along those lines, you may or may not be ready to hear it.  And if you can hear it, change will take effort on your part.

Often leaders say to me “Yah, but this is how I got to where I am today,” to which I respond that they got there based ont he core strength, and not by overusing it.  The voice is there, and that’s indeed great, but it’s important to be able to set the volume at the right level to let it be a positive.

Practice takes a commitment to change thinking and actions alike, and holding yourself accountable to notice and moderate the behaviors you tend to over-emphasize.

Being gentle yet firm with yourself about your development areas is a good start.  Also, those same colleagues, friends, and family can be a great help in ratcheting your weaknesses back into the strengths contained within them.

I guarantee you if you don’t check your blind spot for your own blend of strengths-cum-weaknesses, you’ll be falling short of taking your A-game to the field every day, so why not give it a try?

David Peck
Senior Executive Coach
The Goodstone Group, LLC
The Recovering Leader

Comments

[Dgreen]

Your 7 hitters are right on. Consider sending me a review copy of your book. Check DrDougGreen.Com to see what I do. You can see my post before I post it. My address is Doug Green, 427 River Terrace, D1, Endicott, NY 13760.
Best,
Doug

[Maneasseaha Blackful]

This is a much needed book!!