Unmasking The Shadowside

As much as we are told to fix our weaknesses, more so than lean into our strengths, it’s easier said than done.

Owning up to our weaknesses is hard. Understanding that they are often a shadow side of our strengths makes it a little easier. And I’ve got another tip to make that unmasking even easier.  

I recently saw this fun diagram that resonated with me. One of my strengths is communication. 

As I describe in my book Powered Up, I’m very aware of the shadow side of my strengths. This is how communication shows up when I am over-using or misusing this strength of mine. One of the things I do is to tell long stories. I give lots of background (surely people need the context, after all) and include far too much detail.  

When I came across this humorous perspective on communication gone wild, it helped me own the shadow side of this strength. It got me thinking – what if we could all see the humour in the shadows side of our strengths. Would it make it easier to see what our strengths look like when we overuse or misuse them? Maybe it would help to boost our self awareness because they would feel less scary of undesirable.  

When we laugh at ourselves we are less self-conscious. This puts us in a learner frame of mind rather than a defensive and closed one. So, what is the shadow side of one of your strengths? What would it look like if you viewed it through the lens of humour? Try to imagine what one of your strengths would look like as a cartoon character or a Gif.  

Are you ready to power up your strengths? Check out my book if you haven’t already got your hands on it.  

Want even more personalised insights and action? I offer coaching to individuals and teams – find out morehere.