The most important goal of leadership is character building. Character means presenting yourself clearly to others. With all your strengths and weaknesses. No matter what stage of development you are currently at. Knowing that you will never be perfect. Those who have the courage to recognize and accept their own light and dark sides can also live better with the fallibility of others. This applies to leader as employees. It applies to everyone who wants to develop further.
Perfectionism makes you spineless
One of the greatest scourges of humanity is perfectionism —the desire to be an ideal person or to follow an ideal person. Perfectionism blinds our perception and keeps us away from our own character—our inner reality. Among other things, it manifests itself in the image of "invulnerability" that some people try to project to the outside world. The strong person who can do everything and is always confident. But because we are never perfect, but always on the verge of the next stage of development, the perfection we demonstrate outwardly tears us apart inside. We burn out. People with character show the world what stage of development they are really at. They take a stand, are tangible and therefore also vulnerable. This gives them their distinctive character, but at the same time makes them more vulnerable.
To prove my character and show myself as I really am, I have to do something very simple, which is also the most difficult thing of all: I have to accept myself as I am. Being honest with myself is difficult. When I look at myself without makeup and can tolerate what I see, I can learn to accept my imperfections. I learn not to hide my mistakes, but to open up and develop others as well. You will be respected for your authentic strengths and loved for your authentic weaknesses!
Impatience is not a strength of character.
Admitting to your mistakes does not mean flaunting your supposed faults. Almost a classic example is admitting to "impatience" as a personal flaw. When top executives are asked in job interviews what their biggest mistake is, they answer without hesitation: impatience. In reality, of course, they don't see this as a mistake at all, but think that their impatience is proof of their particular dynamism and decisiveness. They want to score points with this. But impatience has nothing to do with dynamism and decisiveness. Impatience is a devastating character flaw. Impatience means being afraid of not being able to achieve something. Impatience is a sign of a lack of confidence in oneself and others. On closer inspection, impatience often also reveals a lack of ambition, because achieving lofty goals requires a great deal of patience.
I would never leader a leader who proudly proclaims that they are impatient. Truly impatient people are not suited to leading others. On the other hand, if a prospective leader were to answer the question about their biggest flaw leader a job interview with, "I always get angry when an employee criticizes one of my decisions," Then I would be curious about that person, because such an answer shows character. Character is the open handling of the dark side of one's own personality.
A strong team always shows character
Showing character means revealing yourself. Yes, it can even mean unmasking yourself. The price you pay for this openness is vulnerability. In return, you gain trust. Trust that the truth will heal. Only a leader who truly opens up can become a role model for others. And only a team of managers and employees who really know each other, in which true characters work, will inspire each other.
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