Greatest Strength, Meet Greatest Constraint
Recently, we talked about our greatest strength is likely our greatest constraint. Following the same line of thought, I encouraged all of us to get a journal and make a list of our strengths. Then spend some time thinking about how our strengths might actually be holding us back. Look at how our strengths at times turn into constraints.
Wondering how this might look? Here's a glimpse into my journal . . . one of my strengths and my corresponding constraint:
Strategic Visionary . . . A Leader Others Want to Follow
Strength:
I love strategy, I love puzzles, I LOVE BIG Ideas, and I dearly love winning . . . and I'm pretty awesome at it . . . that's why it's a strength.
Constraint:
If I lean into my "strategy mode" when I need to be listening I can lose my team on the journey. I can cause people to feel like they aren't important. Or, their ideas don't matter when I'm enamored with the big picture. And I can miss important details that could save time, money, and in the end, the project. At best, I might be a good leader, but not a great one! Not a leader others want to follow.
So, where do we go from here . . . make your list!
After that, a large part of the battle is "self-awareness." Once we become aware that our strength can also be what is constraining or sabotaging us, then making a change can be a whole lot easier! First, we need to become self-aware . . . make your list!
One more clarifying thought before we go . . . the reason we're using the word "constraint" instead of weakness is because it's not simply a weakness. The behaviors we are talking about are actually constraining us, stopping us from achieving our goals, keeping us from walking in our destinies.
Staying true to the "Why" but remaining flexible on the who and how will help the visionaries, the strategists reading this understand that the goal may not change, but how we get there can get a whole lot better.
Hey, if this resonates with you, please share. Give us a strength and a potential constraint as I did above. Also, share your ideas of how to improve . . . or ask for some ideas. Let's overcome and shine together!
As always, thanks for joining the conversation!
Originally published on August 14, 2018*
