“Playing to your strengths” may lead to success in certain roles if you have the knowledge and skills required to complete the task at hand. However, it isn’t necessarily going to produce effective leadership.
Leaders should have a strong desire to learn and grow, and they need to model that desire in order to motivate their team to do the same. When one recognizes this, the concept of a leader who only plays to their strengths suddenly seems oxymoronic.
Below, 10 professionals from Forbes Coaches Council share their best advice for leaders who think playing to their own strengths will suffice.
4. Remain Aware Of The Needs Of Others
Every strength has the potential to be overused, which turns it into a derailer. Use your strengths while being aware of the needs of others. For example, communication can be so warm and friendly that the recipient does not hear the message buried within. Or leaders can be so imaginative and creative that they don’t focus or communicate priorities. – Kristy Busija, Next Conversation Coaching, LLC