115: "Is Your Once-Greatest Strength Now Holding You Back?" ft. Alli Murphy
In this co-hosted conversation, Erik Berglund and Alli Murphy explore a deceptively simple leadership trap: when your greatest strength becomes the very thing holding you back. From overthinking and realism to empathy and self-awareness, they unpack how internal “voices” can quietly hijack decision-making, stall progress, and limit leadership effectiveness.
Through real stories, coaching insights, and practical reframes, Erik and Alli challenge leaders to stop letting one voice run the boardroom—and start building a more balanced internal leadership team.
🧭 Conversation Highlights
- Why strengths don’t turn into weaknesses overnight—they slowly overstay their welcome
- Erik’s story of overthinking a leadership conflict that required humility, not strategy
- How “being a realist” can shut down vision before it ever has a chance
- The idea of your internal “Board of Directors”—and who’s dominating the meeting
- Why outside perspective (coaches, peers, trusted partners) is often non-negotiable
💡 Key Takeaways
- A strength used without context can quietly become a liability
- Internal voices are valuable—but none deserve permanent control
- Friction and discomfort are often signals that something is out of balance
- Self-awareness alone isn’t always enough; outside perspective accelerates clarity
- Writing things down creates insight that thinking alone rarely delivers
❓ Questions That Mattered
- When does a strength stop serving you and start limiting you?
- Which internal voice is currently driving your decisions?
- What happens when realism, empathy, or overthinking goes unchecked?
- Who in your life has permission to challenge your blind spots?
- What changes when you move a dominant strength out of the driver’s seat?
🧠 Concepts, Curves & Frameworks
- Strengths with a Shadow Side: Every capability has a cost when overused
- The Internal Board of Directors: Multiple voices, competing priorities, shared power
- Driver vs. Advisor: Knowing when a strength leads vs. supports
- Third-Party Perspective: Why self-observation has limits
- Brain–Body Connection: Why writing creates clarity faster than rumination
🧰 Put This Into Practice
- Identify your most dominant strength—and ask where it might be over-indexing
- Notice moments of friction and ask: Is this internal or external?
- Practice “acknowledge, then reposition” with your inner voices
- Invite one trusted person to reflect patterns you might be missing
- Use pen and paper when you feel stuck—slow thinking unlocks insight
🗣️ Notable Quotes
“You might be a realist—but that’s not all you are.”
“Anytime one strength becomes the only voice on the board, we get into trouble.”
“Sometimes the right move isn’t better thinking—it’s less thinking.”
“You can acknowledge a voice without giving it the driver’s seat.”
“We can’t see what we can’t see—and that’s why we need other people.”
🔗 Links & Resources
