---
title: How Your Greatest Strength Can Become Your Greatest Weakness
description: The personality characteristics that help launch promising careers can turn into crippling derailers down the line. But they don’t have to.
---

[CONTACT US](https://info.hoganassessments.com/get-in-touch/?q=contact-us)

+1.918.749.0632

- [![](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-29221339-png/images/iconsLnkIn.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2199407&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr)
- [![](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-29221437-png/images/iconsFB.png)](https://www.facebook.com/hoganassessments)
- [![](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-29221545-png/images/iconsTwtr.png)](https://twitter.com/HoganAssessment)
- [![](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-29221682-png/images/iconsYT.png)](http://www.youtube.com/user/hoganassessments/featured)
- [![](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-29221802-png/images/iconsRSS.png)](https://info.hoganassessments.com/CMS/UI/Modules/BizBlogger/rss.aspx?tabid=541267&moduleid=1088272&maxcount=25)

[![Hogan Assessments](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-1394468644-png/images/HoganLogoMain_0.png)](http://www.hoganassessments.com/)

[![globeMain](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/file-29224251-png/images/globeMain.png)](http://www.hoganassessments.com/?q=content/international-training)

## [How Your Greatest Strength Can Become Your Greatest Weakness](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/how-your-greatest-strength-can-become-your-greatest-weakness)

Posted by [Hogan Assessments](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/author/hogan-assessments) on Thu, Sep 13, 2012

- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)

 

![describe the image](https://info.hoganassessments.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/derailer_thumb_lg2.jpg?width=150&height=195&name=derailer_thumb_lg2.jpg)“What is your greatest weakness?”

A Google search using that common interview question yields more than 2 million articles, most of which outline ways to artfully dodge the answer. The most common trick is to list a weakness in the form of an exaggerated strength. However, the line between strength and weakness isn’t always clear. The personality characteristics that help launch promising careers can turn into crippling derailers down the line. But they don’t have to.

Download How Your Greatest Strength Can Become Your Greatest Weakness and learn how to identify and mitigate potentially destructive behaviors.

 

 Topics: [derailers](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/topic/derailers)

### Subscribe to our Blog

[![](http://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/153377/711cc0c8-c2ea-4b1c-b2eb-bc52e9361086.png)](http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/153377/711cc0c8-c2ea-4b1c-b2eb-bc52e9361086)

### Meet Our Bloggers

[Blaine Gaddis](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/blaine-gaddis/)  
[Chris Duffy](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/chris-duffy/)  
[Dan Paulk](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/dan-paulk/)  
[Darin Nei](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/darin-nei/)  
[Dustin Hunter](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/dustin-hunter/)  
[Jackie Sahm](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/jackie-vanbroekhoven/)<https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/jarrett-shalhoop/>[Jennifer Lowe  
](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/jennifer-lowe/)[Jesse Whitsett](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/jesse-whitsett/)<https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/kristin-switzer/>[Jocelyn Hays](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/jocelyn-hays)  
[Krista Pederson](https://info.hoganassessments.com/krista-pederson)[  
Kristin Switzer  
](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/kristin-switzer/)[Michael Sanger](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/michael-sanger)  
[Miranda Hanes](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/miranda-hanes/)<https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/kristin-switzer/>[Morgan Meister-Murry](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/morgan-meister/)  
[Rebecca Callahan](https://info.hoganassessments.com/rebecca-callahan)<https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/natalie-oneal/>[Robert Hogan](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/robert-hogan/)  
[Scott Gregory](https://info.hoganassessments.com/scott-gregory?&t=19495)<https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/ryan-daly/>[Steve Nichols](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/steve-nichols/)  
[Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic](https://info.hoganassessments.com/blog/tomas-chamorro-premuzic/)

### Most Popular Posts

### Connect

<http://www.youtube.com/user/hoganassessments><https://info.hoganassessments.com/CMS/UI/Modules/BizBlogger/rss.aspx?moduleid=1088272><https://twitter.com/HoganAssessment>

### [How To Buy Why Hogan?](http://www.hoganassessments.com/content/how-buy)

© 2014 Hogan Assessment  
Systems  
[Privacy Policy](http://www.hoganassessments.com/content/privacy-policy) | [Legal Policy](http://www.hoganassessments.com/content/legal-policy)