I’m an idea guy.  I love to brainstorm and come up with ideas on how to make things better.  I am also someone who can ignore the details or forget about them quickly.

The more I work with leaders the more I realize I am not alone.  All of us have strengths that can also be our weaknesses. They are two sides of the same coin.  Our strengths often turn into weaknesses when they are misapplied or taken to an extreme.

Both Sides Are Me

I am a big believer that people need to know their God given strengths and talents and capitalize on them.  A great way to identify those is to use a behavioral profile tool like DISC.

By understanding your DISC profile, you can become a better leader, a better communicator and learn to engage in productive conflict versus destructive conflict.  Here is a link that will allow you take that first step and understand how you were made:  Take DISC Here.

DISC Strengths and Weaknesses

D: Dominance- People who score high on the D scale tend to:

Strengths:

  • Be Results Oriented
  • Be Direct
  • Be Determined
  • Be Change Oriented

Weaknesses: 

  • Be Demanding
  • Be Insensitive
  • Create win/lose situations
  • Change for Change Sake

I:  Influence- People who score high on the I scale tend to:

Strengths:

  • Be Optimistic
  • Be Visionary
  • Be Good Communicators
  • Be Passionate

Weaknesses:

  • Ignore Warning Signs
  • Forget Details
  • Talk Too Much
  • Be Impulsive

S:  Steadiness- People who score high on the S scale tend to:

Strengths:

  • Be Consistent
  • Be Great Listeners
  • Be Dependable
  • Be Loyal

Weaknesses:

  • Be Slow Moving
  • Need Reassuring
  • Be Change Resistant
  • Be Overly Tolerant

C:  Compliance- People who score high on the C scale tend to:

Strengths:

  • Be Detail Oriented
  • Be Process Driven
  • Be Accurate
  • Be Task Oriented

Weaknesses:

  • Fail To See The Big Picture
  • Put Process Before Results
  • Be Perfectionistic
  • Be Critical of Others and Self

Wherever our natural behavioral tendencies fall, there are good things and bad things that go with each.  Whether I am a high D, I, S, or C, one is not better than the other.  They are just different.

Behavioral Revelation

After taking hundreds of people through workshops on these behavioral attributes I had a revelation:

These are my tendencies not my destiny.

I have the power to build on my strengths and minimize my weaknesses.  In fact, as a leader, I have a duty to do both.

Too many people use these assessments to justify their poor behavior.  It is as if they say, “Hey!  That’s just who I am.  Deal with it.”

Wrong!  My profile shows I am a high I.  I have the power to control the negative side of being a high I personality.  It is in my  power to:

Weaknesses:

  • Be vigilant and not – Ignore Warning Signs
  • Take notes and not – Forget Details
  • Listen until it hurts and not – Talk Too Much
  • Slow down and get counsel and not – Be Impulsive

Anytime someone refuses to improve on something they have direct control over it gives me a direct insight into that person’s character.  This attitude reveals a selfishness that all of us need to overcome for our own good and the good of others.

The Bottom Line:

As the great philosopher, Popeye used to say, “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.”  If you follow the advice of a guy like that, you will probably ignore this blog.

But, if you want to grow beyond who you are today, then knowing your natural behavioral tendencies is a great place to start growing.  Once you take the time to know yourself and your strengths, you can begin to work on your corresponding weaknesses.

My point is, we are all working off of a coin that has two sides.  If I ignore one side of my coin, I am never going to be the leader, be the communicator I could be or handle conflict in a productive way.

Question:

What strengths do you have that become weaknesses when misapplied?