Most Finance chiefs should be able to credit their success to a distinct set of traits or strengths.
But when those strengths are relied on too heavily, they can have the opposite effect.
Think of a manager who prides himself on his ability to get all staffers to agree on all major business decisions, and makes sure there’s complete buy-in for every minor task. Great for employee morale, but what about productivity — especially when getting a consensus takes forever? This manager is probably utilizing his consensus-building skills a bit too often and could stand to weld his executive power more. Of course, the opposite problems arise when a manager never attempts to get buy-in.
But how do you tell if you’re overusing your strengths and, more importantly, what should you do about it?
Experts suggest paying careful attention to any areas where you have received the highest rating on leadership behavior, directly asking trusted colleagues co-workers what you can do less (or more) often, and asking yourself this question: Do I pride myself at being better than other leaders at (insert strength here)? Whatever trait you answer is the one you run the risk of relying on too much.
If you do notice you’re overusing a particular strength, try going to the opposite extreme every now and then to create a balance.
