How your biggest strength can be your biggest weakness?

When you’ve discovered your strength and have begun using it you will feel you are getting the best out of yourself. However, there is the possibility that you may overuse these strengths and they can then turn into your weakness.
The CliftonStrengths Finder assessment is a great tool to help you identify what strengths you may have.

But how can your strength be your weakness?

A leader whose strength is command can have a certain presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions. This can easily come across as being aggressive especially if inserted into a cultural setting which favours more consultative leadership. The converse is also true with someone who is talented in adaptability, they tend to go with the flow. However, this can be misinterpreted as being a pushover especially in societies which favour or celebrate the aggressive or all-conquering leader.

Now the story is also told of empathic leaders. These leaders are able to empathize with their team and can easily discern when there is a soft issue to be managed. When overdone, an empathetic leader can conversely come across as a “softy” and may not be taken seriously in the work world.

Also, people who have Harmony as a strength look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement. When overused they run the risk of not allowing controlled conflicts to occur which in turn can inhibit team growth.

It is critical that there is recognition that your strength is being overused. Whether via self-assessment or external feedback, it should be acknowledged. Alternative options which will produce different outcomes can be developed. These alternate scenarios can then be documented and then the appropriate situation can be chosen to practice this alternative result.
It is best that your plans are shared with a mentor or at the very least a trusted colleague since it could help your process to walk them through the remediate steps for a second opinion as to potential impact.

Different types of leadership behaviours can be practiced, with appropriate variations to suit different types of individuals in your team. It is possible to remain authentic while tailoring the degree to which your strengths are exercised thereby measuring said strengths and reducing the instances when your biggest strength is deemed your biggest weakness

Discover your strengths and learn how to utilize them to increase your productivity and engagement at work. Check out our Increasing Productivity training courses for more information.