In a recent workshop I ran we were exploring operational and relational strengths and weaknesses together.
It became apparent that a number of the participants were uncomfortable with (or were unable to) tapping in to what their weaknesses are and how these impact their team.
Whilst I’m a huge advocate of the work pioneered by Don Clifton on using strengths as the focus for development, it’s important that we understand where our weaknesses lie and if and how our team may be supporting us/covering for these in our day to day work.
Self awareness is the first pillar of developing emotional intelligence and is the foundation of the work that I do helping leaders to develop their capacity.
Knowing yourself and how you tick leads to a greater understanding of how you can get the best out of yourself and those around you.
So, reverting back to that workshop I was talking about earlier, here’s the killer question that had a lot of the participants stumped:
How do other team members’ strengths cover for your weaknesses?
What would your answer be? Drop me a line in the comments to let me know (or send me a DM if you’re shy about exposing your weaknesses in public).And if you’re interested in becoming a more emotionally intelligent leader, I’m facilitating a programme for MindCamp in February and March that you might be interested in – you can find more information here: From Manager to Leader – The Power of Emotional Intelligence