Anyone looking for the strengths of a good leader will quickly come across lists. Strong communication skills are almost always on them, along with assertiveness, empathy, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire others. The message behind this is temptingly simple: If you meet these criteria, then you’re a good leader.
But does a set list of strengths really guarantee a leader’s success? Should we follow a standardized template? I am convinced that this approach falls short.
Teams and organizations are too different for a one-size-fits-all approach to work. The answer is less convenient. It requires self-reflection and a deeper understanding of ourselves. Many people find this difficult because it also means we have to confront our own dark sides. Personal development takes effort and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone.
Leading Authentically with Your Own Strengths
Every person has a unique combination of strengths—a personal strengths profile. However, many of us have lost the ability to trust these strengths and build on them. Instead, we compare ourselves to others and try to imitate their strengths. The result is often that we fail to reach our full potential and end up feeling exhausted and dissatisfied.
Our strengths are what make us unique. They are the foundation for success and fulfillment, both professionally and personally. Leaders who know their own strengths and use them intentionally lead with authenticity and confidence. That’s exactly what a team senses.
When Leaders Imitate Others
In my work, I meet many leaders. Those who know and use their strengths lead in a natural, almost effortless way. They become role models for their team and for other leaders.
But that is precisely where the danger lies. Instead of discovering their own strengths, many people try to copy successful leaders and adopt their strengths. This takes an enormous amount of energy, and the result is usually mediocrity. The ease is lost, and their actions come across as forced and inauthentic.
I keep coming across the same pattern. A leader with strong social-emotional skills—such as empathy—works in a company where assertiveness and quick decision-making are what matter most. To fit in, she acts tougher than she really is. She makes decisions on her own when she would have preferred to involve the team, and she hides the fact that she’s very attuned to the mood in the room. From the outside, this is meant to come across as confident. On the inside, it drains her energy every day.
On top of that, feigned toughness rarely comes across as convincing. Those around her sense that it isn’t genuine. Sometimes she comes across as harsher than she intended; other times, she crumbles precisely when it matters most. In the end, the leader is denied the very thing she tried so hard to demonstrate: assertiveness.
The cost is high. The executive gets stuck in a role where, at best, they achieve mediocrity. Their true strength—understanding people and building trust—barely comes into play, even though that is precisely what this company often lacks.
You can think of it like an eagle trying to swim like a duck. No matter how hard it tries, it will never swim as well as the duck. But as soon as it spreads its wings and flies, it far surpasses the duck.
Added to this is one’s own self-assessment. Anyone who constantly measures themselves against the strengths of others will always feel weak.
Example: Creativity and Reuse
This is clearly evident in the “Strength Partners” from my #STÄRKENSTÄRKEN model. Leaders with the strength of creativity are passionate idea generators. In meetings, they often reach for a pen to jot down their thoughts on the whiteboard or on paper. Their strength lies in creating something new from a blank page.
Leaders whose strength is “reuse,” on the other hand, find it difficult to create something new from scratch. Their strength lies in further developing what already exists. They take existing templates or texts and quickly reshape them to achieve the desired result. At this point, the creative leader would once again be at a loss.
Both strengths give rise to something new, but in completely different ways. That is why they are partners. Anyone who possesses the strength of “Reuse” and tries to imitate a creative leader will experience, above all, frustration and the feeling of not being good enough.
Example: Ease and Conscientiousness
A second pair of strengths illustrates this just as clearly. A leader with the strength of Ease makes decisions quickly and doesn’t get bogged down in details. They accept that not everything has to be perfect and that mistakes are part of the process. A leader with the strength “Conscientiousness,” on the other hand, prefers to take more time to ensure that results are complete and error-free. You can rely on their word.
If one tries to work like the other, things fall apart. Those who bring a sense of ease to their work but push themselves toward perfection lose momentum and energy and get bogged down in details that make no difference. Those who are conscientious and force themselves to take things easy feel insecure and constantly have the sense that they’re overlooking something important. In both cases, the leader loses exactly what makes them strong.
So what strengths does a leader need?
Your own. It’s not about conforming to a predetermined list, but about recognizing your own unique strengths and using them intentionally. That’s the only way to lead effectively. I strongly encourage every leader to take the time to do this. It benefits the company, the team, and the leader themselves.
