It is only natural for leaders to try to make the most of their trengths. The theory of comparative advantage directs people, as well as countries and firms, to focus on what they are good at. Management experts have tended to concur: one of the bestsell-ing business books of recent years is called "Now Discover Your Strengths", by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton. When business schools (and indeed business columnists) profile bosses, they often assume that more is better. But is this right? Three more recent books express some doubts. In "Fear Your Strengths", Robert Kaplan and Robert Kaiser argue that "what you are best at could be your biggest problem." Forcefulness can become bullying; decisiveness can turn into pigheadedness; niceness can develop into indecision.
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