Don’t try to turn weaknesses into strengths.

If you’ve ever been frustrated by the phrase “you’ve got to turn your weaknesses into strengths,” I’ve got some good news for you.

The idea that you can turn weaknesses into strengths is . . . balderdash.

Here’s why. We are all made out of different raw material. And different kinds of raw material have different strengths. Steel as a raw material can bear loads that clay can not. Likewise, clay is good for some things that steel is not. So one of the first things you’ve got to do as a leader is to develop enough self-awareness to know what loads you can bear well and what loads you don’t bear well. Then, you’ve got to build relationships with others who can help you bear the loads that you don’t handle well. That process helps you make peace with your weaknesses rather than turn them into strengths.

(By the way, the “raw material” idea is why personality assessments like the now-popular Enneagram, or those that have been around a while - like the Myers Briggs or the DISC, are helpful. These assessments don’t tell you “who you are,” but they do give a good indication of the raw material you are working with.)

The real work is to figure out what your liabilities are. Liabilities are the things that are more than just “weaknesses.” Liabilities are what keep you from achieving your leadership goals. Liabilities are the gremlins that you allow to sabotage you instead of making your leadership vision a reality. And, frankly, most of your colleagues know what those liablities are - they may just be afraid to tell you. That’s where some anonymous feedback, especially in the form of a 360 assessment, can be really helpful.

If you aren’t able to invest in a full 360 project, then try the following:

1. Use survey monkey or a similar resource to create an online survey that can have anonymous responses.

2. Start the survey with this introduction:

   “Because I’m committed to my growth as a leader this year and because I value your opinion of me, I ask that you complete this survey. The survey is anonymous, and it will help me identify where to focus my self-development this year. Thank you for your candid comments, because they will provide a roadmap for my future success.”

3. Then ask these questions:

   1. What is my greatest leadership challenge for the year ahead?

   2. In order to meet that challenge, what do I need to start doing?

   3. In order to meet that challenge, what do I need to stop doing?

   4. In order to meet that challenge, what do I need to continue doing?

   5. What else would you like to tell me?

4. After you’ve compiled the results to these answers, you want to look for two things.

   1. What are the things that get repeated?

   2. What are the things that surprise me?

5. Once you have that figured out, you can get a much clearer picture of the raw material you are working with this year.

   Take a sheet of paper and draw three columns.

   1. The strengths others see in me.

   2. The liabilities that need to get corrected.

   3. The weaknesses that are less than ideal, but not a real threat to me.

6. Now for the “real work”

   1. Follow up with your reviewers. Tell them “thank you” for any feedback they were able to provide.

   2. Tell them what you learned about yourself, and how you plan to build on your strengths and address your liabilities.

   3. Ask if they have any additional suggestions. Listen. Don’t defend yourself or make excuses for anything. Just listen and say “thank you.”

As part of my one to one coaching work, I provide 360 surveys and similar leadership assessments to help clients determine their strengths, weaknesses, and liabilities. I also provide workshops on this topic. Contact me if you would like more information.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE - I’ve adapted this from Marshall Goldsmith’s Feed Forward process.