Our character is a patchwork of strengths and weaknesses. But we must note that each strength is a weakness if it is extreme.

Twenty years ago, the psychologists Robert and Joyce Hogan created an inventory of these traits, which when taken to extreme become “dark side” traits.

Distancing characteristics, that push other people away:

Cautious

Cautious is the person, that can be careful and precise. But when this trait is strong, then the person can become indecisive and risk averse. Extremely cautious people may be hesitant to make decisions and may strip autonomy of employees.

Excitable

Excitable is synonymous to passion and enthusiasm, which are very strong characteristics. But they can also cause outbursts and volatility when there is no moderation. Extreme enthusiasm may lead to jumping from one project to another without finishing anything and may cause the team to feel a lack of direction and increased stress.

Leisurely persons

Leisurely persons seem relaxed and easy going. But they can also be Passive-aggressive resisting cooperation or even engaging in backstabbing. Being overly relaxed and distant may increase the feeling of security within the team and lead to threat mode.

Reserved

Reserved people are stoic and calm under pressure. They seem cooperative and sensitive. But when the trait is strong, then they can be uncommunicative and insensitive. Extreme introverts as leaders may cause the team to feel a lack of authority, guidance and evaluation all leading to insecurity.

Skeptical

Skeptical persons are hard to be fooled. But at the same time, they can be mistrustful and quarrelsome. They have a cynical outlook, which makes it hard to build trust. Leaders who are extremely theoretical may cause the team to loose opportunity or to stall in decision making, thus causing frustration in terms of productivity and results.

Read more about  growth mindset & increase in productivity.

Traits with seductive qualities to pull people in:

Bold

Bold persons are assertive, filled with confidence. But on the other hand, they can be arrogant and grandiose. Enhanced self esteem may cause the rest of the team members to feel a lack of status, which is a threat to the brain.

Colorful

Colorful which means entertaining and expressive. The “joy of life”. But they can also be socially obtuse. Extreme expressiveness can cause concentration and focus deterioration in the team.

Imaginative

Imaginative people are creative and visionary. They can also have wacky ideas and they are constantly changing. Leaders who are idealists may be often unrealistic in their expectations and cause the team to feel low status and safety.

Mischievous

Mischievous persons are risk tolerant and that is why they are charming and persuasive. But they can also be impulsive and manipulative. High risk in a leader could cause the team to feel a lack of security.

MANAGING THE DARK SIDE

How can we manage our dark side? Self-awareness is the key! First, we must accept ourselves. After that, we can manage our strengths and our weaknesses. To have self-awareness, we must collect information from others about us. Using psychometric testing tools (personality profiling, team role preferences and leadership style diagnosis) will help us manage our behavior.

Conclusion

To develop our leadership skills, we need to accept and understand our personality traits and preferences. In that manner we will easily translate the behavioral patterns of others and we will be more efficient in driving human behavior in the team.

If you would like to learn more about enhancing your leadership style and learn about psychometric testing, book a free consultation with us at https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/jennie or visit our website www.jenniekamaradou.com/en