All leaders all flawed.

There I said it.

Well, to be fair we are all flawed.

Leaders face extra scrutiny, but ultimately, everyone has flaws.

The good news is that these flaws which for the sake of this article I’m going to call weaknesses don’t have to be a bad thing. Sometimes the strongest feature of something or someone isn’t on the outside but hidden on the inside.

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths

Some of the greatest leaders also had some of the biggest weaknesses. But it possible to turn your greatest weakness into your biggest strength?

In business, knowing your strengths and weaknesses is vital. In fact, it can be the difference between success and failure. After all, remember, you are only as strong as your weakest link. Therefore, most leaders identify their weaknesses and take the necessary steps to turn them into strengths, which is precisely what they should do if they want to be successful. But imagine if those weaknesses were potentially stronger than their current strengths?

The point I am looking to drive home here is that: it’s essential to one’s growth as a leader to look inside and discover what’s there around who you are – at your core.

(FYI: here’s a great article on the topic of turning your weaknesses into strengths).

Many great leaders I know wouldn’t pass a typical character assessment. Their key to success lies in traits that aren’t usually considered “leadership material.” In reality their greatest strength was their greatest weakness.

Leadership Lessons from the Wizard of Oz

To illustrate this, let’s look at the three main characters from The Wizard of Oz. Each embodies a unique leadership quality I’ve observed throughout my career. I stumbled upon this brilliant summary which I used below to further illustrate this point.

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: The Scarecrow.

His greatest wish was to have brains for himself from the Wizard of Oz. Despite his perceived lack of brains, the Scarecrow was exceedingly intelligent and resourceful.

• Initially, left hanging on a pole, the Scarecrow lived a life totally unsuited to his strengths — he couldn’t scare crows away at all. But by Dorothy removing him from the pole gave him a chance to discover his strengths: open mindedness, perspective, curiosity, leadership, and kindness. He claimed he couldn’t make up his mind, but was able to tell Dorothy how to take him off the pole, and he was able to decide which direction to take. 

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: The Tin Man.

He desired a heart from the Wizard of Oz. He used to be a real man and despite his belief that he lacked emotions, he proved to be a kind and sensitive man.

• hough physically heartless, he possessed deep empathy, weeping at others’ pain. Courageous and selfless, he defended the weak and prioritized the group’s needs. While his emotional sensitivity sometimes hindered him, his love and concern for others were reciprocated throughout their journey. He already had a heart.

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: The Cowardly Lion.

He claimed to be a coward and wished for the Wizard of Oz to give him courage. However, he proved to be courageous in many situations throughout the novel.

• A character whose strengths were working against each other when he is first encountered. His humility and prudence conflict with his personal ideas about valor weighed heavy on him: as a lion, he believed he should be afraid of nothing, but his good sense made him recognize danger. Unfortunately for him, this created a self-defeating vortex. The more he recognized things to be afraid of, the more cowardly he behaved physically, which mades him under-estimate his own valor a bit more, which lowered the threshold of things that made him afraid. Courage was not the absence of fear but the ability to control it. Lion’s gratitude and appreciation for beauty made him appealing to others.

Final thoughts: 

There are many obvious parallels between the characters in the movie and being a leader but the most important takeaway I believe is to: never doubt who you are, what you have and what you are capable of giving others. Don’t wait for your Dorothy to bring it out of you – start today and turn your weakness into your greatest strength.

The floor is yours: Can a leader lead from their weaknesses AND be successful?

With leadership,

Joshua / www.JoshHMiller.com

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