I am a firm believer that to be the best we must minimize our weaknesses and maximize our strengths. As a subscriber to this effective mindset, I am additionally becoming more aware of the following fact:
For the many assets your strengths bring to your leadershipip - each strength also carries its own liability to your leadership. If you were to think on all of your strengths and study the array of strengths found in Buckingham's Strength-finder, you will realize the liabilities of each one. While it may be easy to realize what the liability is, how do you rise above the liability and channel the assets to create a better future?
Manage the liability and allow the asset.
Chew on this: Your strengths are natural abilities and as you cultivate them and learn more about them - your merely just allow them (let them) to do their thing and performance utopia beckons. The liability portion of your strength is not naturally manageable - you have to be disciplined on it.
For example, communication is my ccurrent #1 strength. What is the liability? A gifted communicator can get long winded in a normal conversation. I have to manage my communication and realize that listening is often the best form of communication.
Futuristic/Vision is another one. Most of the time the asset of being futuristic in my thinking helps to inspire a better future. The liability is a tendency to lose touch with reality and not make total sense to constituents.
Think of a "Type A" personality that is all about charging forward and getting it done. They go on vacation and charge through everything and wear the family down when it was time to relax and recharge. The asset of a "go-getter" become a liability when it's time to wind down and create a relaxed environment.
These are for you to think on for yourself and perhaps help others with. What are your strengths and what ways can you manage the liability of those strengths? Email me some strengths and I can give you some thoughts on the natural liabilities to watch out for.
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