We all love leaning on our strengths. We often use them without realizing it because our strengths come so easily to us. It’s how we get in the “zone” that makes work more energizing and satisfying.

However, do you know that there is a point when relying too much on your strengths can begin to backfire and even bring you to exhaustion? That’s why it’s useful to be aware of how your strengths play out in the way you manage your work.

One of my leadership coaching clients is a great example of this.

WHEN A LEADER’S STRENGTHS BECOME A PROBLEM

Will is a partner at a mid-sized accounting firm. When I started coaching him, he was on the verge of quitting and taking a step back in his career. He was exhausted from working too many hours and felt he couldn’t continue at the pace he was keeping. His personal life was suffering, too, as he was often edgy with his wife and kids.

We reviewed his Strengths Profile to take a closer look at how he was utilizing his strengths. The tool measures 60 strengths through the lens of three core questions:

• What do you do well?
• What gives you energy?
• How often do you use this strength?

The tool then creates a report that divides the strengths into four categories, based on the person’s responses.

Below is a snapshot of Will’s results. The top two quadrants show the strengths that he performs well. These can be energizing for him when used correctly. The difference between “realized” and “unrealized” is about how often he leans on them. The lower quadrants show his weaknesses and the skills he has learned to do well yet exhaust him.

Once we discussed the report, the cause of Will’s exhaustion became immediately clear.

His realized strengths are a great fit for his leadership role. He is committed (Work Ethic), takes ownership of his work (Personal Responsibility), thinks things through (Incubator), thrives at problem-solving (Resolver), doesn’t give up (Persistence), and is driven by a desire to win (Competitive) – not just for himself but also for his team and the firm.

However, he had been relying too heavily on these strengths, especially on Work Ethic and Personal Responsibility. His default solution to challenges was, “I’ll just work longer and harder,” so he was taking on too many tasks, often working late, alone, and not delegating enough. On top of this, he had slipped into a rut of negativity and complaining and was avoiding difficult but necessary conversations.

Our realized strengths are the go-to skills we tap into most of the time, so it’s easy to miss when they become an issue.

The report helped bring Will much-needed awareness of his patterns.

RE-BALANCING STRENGTHS TO AVOID EXHAUSTION

Next, we worked on creating a better balance. Will realized he needed to check his attitude and adopt a more positive perspective. He began to lean more into Optimism, one of his unrealized strengths, which made a big difference. He also used another unrealized strength – Time Optimizer – to restructure his priorities. This included stepping away from time-consuming operational meetings that didn’t need his input to focus on the high-impact meetings.

Will committed to delegating more, which meant handing off some client responsibilities to other people in the firm. Little by little, he re-directed his Work Ethic and Personal Responsibility towards the things that matter most. This allowed him to curb the number of hours he works while giving him more time and space to solve the big problems – something at which he excels and his company needs him to do.

As a result of these changes, Will is using his strengths in a more effective manner. He has begun to enjoy his job again and feels more in control of his work and life. He is also pleased with the shift his attitude and more reasonable work schedule has made on his home life, as a husband and father.

Will knows he has to stay conscious of his patterns because he can easily fall back into the “old ways.”  The leadership coaching and the Strengths Profile tool give him a sustainable path forward in his leadership role.

HOW ARE YOU USING YOUR LEADERSHIP STRENGTHS?

What about you? Could an overuse of your strengths be the reason for your challenges? Contact me if you wish to find a better approach.