…a balance of knowing both your strengths but also your weaknesses and not trying to hide those. It’s not just about owning up to a mistake you make; it’s more powerful to know your tendency to make a mistake.
What I’ve found is that if you’re able to confess your tendencies, some of which can be weaknesses, then you actually generate empathy from your team, and they’ll help you out. The point is we all have weaknesses, so let’s all help each other and we’ll go forward together. As a leader, your weaknesses can become the company’s weaknesses if you don’t see those clearly.
Jake Wobbruck, as quoted in Adam Bryant, “Lead With Strengths, and Weaknesses”, New York Times (5 July 2015), BU2.