Can Your Strength Become One of Your Greatest Weaknesses?

Through my years of studying human behavior and leadership, one thing I’ve come to realize is how closely connected strengths and weaknesses are. Many times, we think of it in terms of increasing our strengths and doing our best to minimize (or delegate) our weaknesses. However, this approach to development can be a little too black and white. One of the most interesting phenomena, in my opinion, is when a strength actually becomes a weakness.

Research from Kaiser Leadership Solutions and Kaplan DeVries Inc. has indicated that “leaders are five times more likely to overdo behaviors related to their areas of natural talent than areas in which they were less gifted”. When this happens, it can be incredibly difficult to spot because we’re so used to seeing the particular attribute in a positive light, and perhaps as the reason we were able to make it to the top in the first place.

How a Strength Can Become a Weakness

So how, exactly, does a strength become a weakness? There are a few ways that it can happen, and the fact that most of the time it’s a relatively gradual process, can make it pretty difficult to notice.

Continue reading here to see how strengths become weaknesses and what you can do to prevent that happening to you.

Trish Cody is an Executive Awareness Coach and Speaker who focuses on optimizing results for business leaders. With over 20 years of experience as a strategic consultant for some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies, Trish has coached and consulted with senior level teams in planning, designing, launching, and measuring the return for major initiatives. As a Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Master Practitioner, Trish works with senior level leaders and business owners to raise their levels of self-awareness, and create more trust, loyalty and success in their businesses and teams. Contact Trish at trish@trishcody.com.