The best leaders I’ve worked with openly and honestly share the areas where they’re not as strong. They model humility by talking about it, and they don’t let it bring them down. They realize it’s simply a fact of being human - you can’t be all things to all people, all the time. And the best leaders also know their strengths, share what they are, and use them well.
There’s something freeing about acknowledging our limitations. Instead of hiding them or pretending they don't exist, great leaders embrace them as part of their leadership strategy. They understand that self-awareness isn’t about highlighting flaws. It’s about creating the conditions for stronger collaboration.
Admitting Weakness Doesn’t Make You Less Capable - It Makes You More Connected
When leaders are willing to say, “This isn’t my strength,” something powerful happens:
People exhale.
The pressure to be perfect dissolves. The room becomes safer. Others feel permission to be honest about their own gaps.
This openness doesn't diminish a leader’s credibility - it builds it. It signals confidence, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to prioritize the team’s success over personal ego.
And it unlocks a second, equally important truth:
What We’re Not Good At Reveals Why We Need Each Other
Our weaknesses aren’t shortcomings to overcome; they’re invitations to collaborate.
Every gap we have is the space where someone else can shine. And every strength we bring is a gift we can offer to someone who needs it. When we see our abilities and limitations through this lens, we stop viewing leadership as a solo act and start seeing it as a shared performance.
This mindset transforms teams.
It shifts relationships from transactional to human.
It builds deep trust - the kind that doesn’t come from perfection but from authenticity.
Strengths Are Meant to Be Shared, Not Guarded
Knowing what we’re good at is just as important as knowing what we’re not. Great leaders are clear and unapologetic about their strengths. They communicate them openly, not as bragging points, but as tools the team can count on.
And this connects directly to Q3: “I use my strengths every day.”
That statement seems simple, but it asks three big things of us:
- First, we have to know what our strengths are.
- Then, we have to notice when we’re using them.
- Finally, we have to seek out more opportunities to use them intentionally.
When employees can say “yes” to Q3, everything changes.
Work becomes more efficient and more effective because people are operating in their zone of natural energy. And it becomes more sustaining. Using our strengths daily is one of the most reliable predictors of engagement, fulfillment, and long-term commitment.
People don’t burn out from working too hard;
they burn out from working too long in areas that drain them.
When We Lead With Honesty, Everyone Wins
The healthiest teams I’ve seen operate like this:
- People know their strengths and use them generously.
- They know their weaker areas and aren’t ashamed of them.
- They rely on one another without guilt or hesitation.
- They celebrate the diverse gifts within the group.
It’s a shift from “I have to do it all” to “We can do it together.”
And in that shift, something beautiful emerges:
a culture where people feel valued not just for what they can do, but for who they are.
The Paradox of Leadership: Vulnerability Creates Strength
At its core, leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where the right answers can emerge - through honesty, collaboration, and the intelligent (and intentional) use of strengths.
When we acknowledge what we’re not good at, we don’t weaken our leadership.
We humanize it.
We strengthen our teams.
We lift the collective potential.
And we remind ourselves - and those around us - that leadership was never meant to be a lonely endeavor.
