Every Leader Has Personality Flaws — Own Yours and Take Measures to Mitigate Them

As a senior leader, it’s probably not news to you that your personality influences how you lead. But it’s easy to lose sight of how our flaws (yes, we’ve all got them) may be directly impacting your team’s ability to carry out strategic decisions — where to focus, how to compete, and what to build (and discard). That’s why it’s important to be aware of those flaws and to take steps to mitigate them. Here are some of the common traits that can get in the way and what to do about them:

If you err on the side of overconfidence and chronic certainty: Chances are that you fall into the trap of pushing for unrealistic strategies and overpromising what the team can actually do. Surround yourself with people who have dissenting opinions and aren't afraid to challenge you.

If you tend to be impulsive: Perhaps you can’t resist the excitement of a new idea or the latest fad. If so, try to lean more heavily on external information to ensure that your impulses are grounded in data, and assign the strategy process to someone who can help you stay focused on execution.

If you're overly controlling and stifle creative ideas from your employees: Your micromanaging ways may have corroded trust on the team. Push yourself to take calculated risks and allow trusted employees to test ideas and carry out experiments.

If you worry about what others think: Your crisis of confidence may result in analysis paralysis and prevent the team from moving important priorities forward. Actively write down best- and worst-case scenarios whenever you feel self-doubt creeping in, and focus on your past successes to boost your conviction.

"This was Adapted from “Every Leader Has Flaws. Don’t Let Yours Derail Your Strategy,” by Ron Carucci and David Lancefield."