“Oh, I pretty much know my strengths and my weaknesses.”
Most Leaders Know Their Strengths — but Are Oblivious to Their Weaknesses
Approximately 30% of leaders we’ve studied have at least one fatal flaw. These are weaknesses that are so extreme that they can have a dramatic negative effect on a leader, seriously hampering their contribution to the organization and their career progress. Usually, everyone else can see this clearly; but the person with the fatal flaw almost never does. The reason: most of us know our strengths because they result in observable outcomes. Our quick thinking saves a failing project, or our decisiveness resolves a crisis. But fatal flaws are usually sins of omission — it’s the listening you didn’t do, or the strategic vision it never occurred to you to describe. To figure out your fatal flaws, find a truth-teller, whether it’s a close friend, coach, or therapist. Don’t try to tackle it on your own.