When Strengths Become Weaknesses: Leadership Derailers Report

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What's inside

Every strength has a range, and pushed far enough in either direction it starts working against you. This report explains how the five personality dimensions tip into extremes, why they surface under stress, fatigue and high stakes, and what Assessio's data of close to 20,000 profiles shows about extremes in management. Head of Psychometrics Helene Hoppe Revald explains when extremes matter in hiring, when they don't, and how leaders can spot their own.

Key insights

Extremes are everyday traits pushed too far, and they show up when the stakes are highest.

64% of profiles show at least one extreme

In an Assessio dataset of close to 20,000 profiles, close to 29% had two or more. Your team has them, whether you've measured them or not.

The more senior the role, the more extreme the traits

Compared with other employees, managers in Assessio's data are more attention-seeking, more impulsive and less responsive to threats.

Extremes surface when the stakes are highest

Stress, fatigue and pressure drain the self-management that keeps traits in balance, which is exactly when leaders need it most.

The trait you screen for most can become your biggest liability

Conscientiousness turns into rigidity when pushed too far, and rigid colleagues stop listening and become hard to collaborate with.

Rejecting every extreme means hiring for sameness

Screen out anyone with an extreme and you'll only hire people in the middle of every scale, losing the diversity of thought teams need.

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Frequently asked questions

What are personality extremes?

An extreme is an everyday personality trait pushed far enough that it becomes a hindrance. Extremes can sit at either end of a scale, e.g. very high conscientiousness can become rigidity.

What is MAP-X?

MAP-X is Assessio's tool for identifying extreme behaviours. It covers the same five personality dimensions as the MAP personality test: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness and emotional stability.

Why do extremes show up under pressure?

Keeping a tendency in check takes self-management, and self-management takes effort. That effort is harder to sustain under stress, fatigue or unusually high stakes.

Are managers more likely to have extreme traits?

In Assessio's data, managers show more pronounced extremes than other employees. The data doesn't show whether people with extremes are drawn to management or whether the role pushes them further.

Should you reject candidates with extreme traits?

No. Extremes are common, and rejecting every one leads to hiring only people in the middle of every scale. What matters is fit for the specific role and how a leader works with the extreme afterwards.

How do leaders spot their own extremes?

Ask people you trust what you do when stressed or tired, check whether recurring feedback points to an extreme, and notice how you react when something suddenly feels very important.