Overall self-awareness as a leader is important if you want to be successful, impactful and effective. True self-awareness can sometimes feel overwhelming and can take a while to achieve. When I work with my leadership clients, I often get asked where to start when building self-awareness. The easiest place to start building self-awareness is to get a really great understanding of your strengths and weaknesses so that you can limit your blind spots as a leader.
The first step in building your self-awareness is to get a really good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and get a clear picture on how those things impact your leaders. The key here is not to just guess what your strengths and weaknesses are. We often create stories about what our strengths (and weaknesses) are and cling to those stories, even if they aren’t based in actual facts. When we operate from these assumptions we often create dangerous blind spots that limit our potential and our effectiveness as a leader. Here are my tips for uncovering your strengths and weaknesses.
- Make a list. The first step to really understanding your strengths and weaknesses (so you can avoid blind spots!) is to make a list of what you think your strengths and your weaknesses as a leader are. Really take some time to think through this and come up with at least your top five strengths and weaknesses. Don’t stop there though, take a moment to think through why you think those are your top strengths and weakness. Sometimes the why can be even more enlightening than the list itself!
- Test your assumptions. Once you have personally identified your strengths and weaknesses it’s time to test your assumptions to see if your list is accurate. Share your list with the people you trust most (your boss, your peers, mentors, friends, even your spouse) and get their insights on what your strengths and weaknesses are. Those who know you best can help you determine if you have captured your true strengths and weaknesses and if you have left anything out or if you have added something you shouldn’t have.
- Identify what energizes you and what drains you. You can tell a lot about what your strengths and weaknesses are by what energizes you and what drains you. Generally, your strengths will be the things that give you the most energy, the tasks you get lost in and the behaviors that light you up. Your weaknesses are often those things that drain your energy; the tasks that you dread and seem to take forever and the behaviors that leave you feeling tired and unmotivated. Watching your energy will give you some great insight into what your strengths and weaknesses as a leader are.
- Assess yourself. This one is an optional one but is usually really helpful. There are quite a few really great assessments out there than can help you get really clear on your strengths and weaknesses. StrengthsFinder 2.0 is a great assessment to uncover your greatest strengths. The Hogan Insight Series is a great assessment that will detail your strengths and also show your potential derailers as a leader. The Leadership Circle 360 assessment details your creative leadership competencies and your reactive tendencies, both from your perspective and according to those around you.
Getting clear on your strengths and weaknesses as a leader you can really increase your effectiveness as a leader. When you know your strengths, you can use them to your advantage and spend time developing those strengths to help you even more. When you are aware of your weaknesses you can avoid blind spots and leverage the strengths of those around you for support. Having a clear picture of where you are strong and where you are weak will only serve to increase your effectiveness and capacity as a leader.
What are your greatest leadership strengths and weaknesses?
