[January 25, 2018] Patrick Lencioni, in his groundbreaking work on leadership, has written about the dysfunction of teams. His study of leaders and their weaknesses has opened the eyes of many folks who want to know more about how leaders recognize and overcome personal weaknesses.
“Whether we’re talking about leadership, teamwork, or client service, there is no more powerful attribute than the ability to be genuinely honest about one’s weaknesses, mistakes, and needs for help.” – Patrick Lencioni, American writer on business management
If there is one lesson I’ve learned from being in the U.S. Army for 40 years it is that the best leaders are honest about their weaknesses from early in their careers. They have looked at themselves as straightforward as they could, typically with the help of other and more experienced leaders, to discover their weaknesses and be upfront enough to admit them.
Once good leaders identify their weaknesses, they take the steps to fix or work around them. While we all have weaknesses, one of mine was that I was terrible at administrative duties; often deferring them to another day or quickly attempting to get them done. But I knew about this weakness and hired people who could help fill in the gaps.
An effective mentor is a great way to assist in identifying one’s weaknesses and someone who can assist over time to help leaders with their weaknesses. No leaders I ever met were successful without someone like this. Mentors don’t just approach you and ask to be a mentor so it is up to the leader who wants help to ask for it.
A lack of moral courage is one of the greatest weaknesses leaders (and everyone else) have that directly deters one from being successful. None of us have enough moral courage to truly be a great leader without help. Those folks who do posses enough moral courage to do everything they want are indeed rare.
But, each leader must look inward into themselves to identify their weaknesses. Whether one uses a teacher, coach, or mentor, or simply decide to go it alone (not a good idea), this introspection is a must as the first step to becoming a better leader.
[Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker on our Facebook Page.]
If you don’t know what your weakest trait is, you will fall on your face time and again. Sad part is that you will never even know it.