Many leaders find their way to the top of a team or organization by leaning into their strengths. This strategy is often a good one. But if you don’t acknowledge your constraints as well, your blind spots will inhibit you and those around you.

You don’t have to address your constraints out of a place of fear. In fact, there are many positive outcomes that will occur as a result of your willingness to see your whole self. Here are three benefits to owning your limitations as a leader.

1. Owning constraints builds trust

Perhaps the biggest reason to admit your own constraints as a leader is to boost trust with your team. Trust is critical to team success, as outlined by Patrick Lencioni in his landmark book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. He posits that trust is the foundation on which healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and end results are built.

His theories have proven true when studied: according to Harvard Business Publishing, high trust companies report 50% higher productivity, 76% more engagement and 74% less stress. These types of gains have large implications for the future of any organization that chooses to make trust one of its top values.

Admitting your weak spots as leader will help cement this foundational trust with your team. Everyone already knows you’re a fallible human being; your ability to acknowledge that fact–especially when you make a mistake–will foster a culture of openness, honesty, and collaboration.

2. Owning constraints develops future leaders

Some constraints can be improved while others are tougher to tackle. In these more intractable scenarios, it’s best to find a colleague who can support or even complement you in an area of constraint. This approach actually helps the team as a whole: when you delegate your areas of weakness to up and comers, you’re helping develop future leaders.

It is ideal for leaders to have some experience making team-oriented decisions before they are saddled with sole responsibility for the team. When someone is given the opportunity to take risks, experience setbacks, and navigate team conflict while still having a mentor in place above them, they can better hone their own strengths and constraints.

With this in mind, consider delegating the tasks related to some of your weaker traits. For instance, if you struggle to stay accountable to sending out regular communication, assign a high-potential member of your team to pull together a monthly update or weekly goals list for everyone. This will not only get the job done but will also help you see your priorities through a second set of eyes and get your colleague accustomed to big picture thinking.

3. Owning constraints jumpstarts growth

Every team is made up of fallible human beings. But with a great team dynamic, each person’s strengths and constraints counterbalance each other to make a more effective whole. If this reality is ignored, a team may wind up heavily weighted in one area and lacking in another.

You likely take strengths and constraints into account when hiring new employees, so choose to turn that mindset inward as well. Ask yourself what is holding you back, and imagine what potential for growth and productivity could be unleashed if your weakness in that area was addressed.

The crux of the problem, however, is knowing what your constraints are. No one sees themselves completely clearly, and you can only improve upon something after you know it exists. That’s why getting third-party and 360-degree colleague feedback is crucial to owning your constraints as a leader.



Here at Teamalytics, we have three decades of experience helping leaders and their teams jumpstart growth through the scientific assessment of strengths and constraints. From the boardroom to the locker room, we’ve worked with executives, professional coaches, military personnel and more. Take our short A-Team Scorecard quiz to get on the path of owning your constraints today.