Leadership Weakness: Overcoming "Shiny Guy" Syndrome

A basic leadership ability is to "identify one's strengths and weaknesses and seek opportunities to develop one's leadership skills."

I think that as leaders, our strengths and weaknesses can have a tin and yang relationship. For myself, I like to be as efficient as possible in my tasks; this can be in anything from organization to writing to communicating with others. On the flip side, I was once told that I can sometimes come across as arrogant, cold, and ruthless.

That truth was given to me just before I began my presidency in my college Panhellenic council in 2012. I had just competed my term as Vice President of Recruitment, which was my first position that allowed me to create programs, lead a group of people, and work with two large organizations. At the time, it was frustrating to attend meetings and feel like I was working much harder than the other council executive members. I felt bitter about the comparison, and my relationships with those women changed as a result.

However, this small piece of truth forced me to pause and reflect. I was to be the president of the council; my actions and relationships would help or hinder the success of the next year. As president, isn't it my responsibility to encourage my team? As a person, why did I think I was better than those women?

Then, I stumbled upon this blog by T.J. Sullivan: "Team members get tired of Shiny Guy." As the title indicates, the article discusses how some type A student's can come across to their peers and gives some tips on how to influence and support others. It was a big wake-up call for me at that point as a student leader. As president, I should figure out ways to help my executive team members develop as leaders and give them resources that will make them successful. As a person, I should understand that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses as well as problems outside of council duties.

Two months later, I attended a workshop at AFLV about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have different skills and values. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of those on your team ultimately makes the organization more successful. Have someone on your team that has great ideas, inspires others, but tends to not follow through? That can work for your organization if you have another member who is great with organization and has the ability to implement those ideas.

As a student affairs professional, I hope to teach this lesson to my students. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and others, you can learn from each other, utilize the strengths, and help each other develop the weaknesses. Great leadership is not always being the person to get everything done: It is understanding that you might need other people to help you do it.

What is one of your leadership weaknesses, and how have you faced it? Do you have any advice for working with "Shiny Guy" students? Let me know by commenting below!

#StudentLearningDevelopment #Leadership #PersonalEthicalFoundations