Writers are taught
that a character’s strength
taken to the extreme
becomes a weakness.
A brave heroine might become reckless,
acting first and thinking later.
A wise hero might become all talk and no action
or so ‘perfectly wise’ that he can’t relate
to flawed others.
This is true in leaders also.
As Bruna Martinuzzi
shares
“It’s a known fact that our gifts,
taken to the extreme,
can be liabilities.
For example, one of your strengths might be
that you are prudent in your decision-making.
But what you view as caution,
taken to the extreme,
might result in fear of risk taking.
In the long run,
this can work against you.
You may pride yourself in being a visionary,
but taken to the extreme,
you may bounce off in too many directions,
frustrating others on the team
by switching gears too often.”
Know what your strengths and weaknesses are
but also know what the upsides and downsides
of these strengths and weaknesses are.