In a prominent CEO benchmarking report, leaders were asked to identify their greatest weaknesses.

Here are the top weaknesses they reported, ranked from most common to least common:

• Holding people accountable

• Getting rid of underperformers

• Staying focused

• Creating a great business strategy

• Being analytical about the business

• Communicating clearly

• Showing empathy for employees

• Motivating employees

• Hiring the best people

• Identifying new opportunities

• Showing empathy for customers

What’s interesting about this research is that leaders reported struggling with the top two issues (holding people accountable and getting rid of underperformers) at three to four times the rate of the issues lower on the list!

This research tells us two things:

1. If you’re struggling with these issues, you’re not alone—it’s one of the hardest parts of being a leader.

2. Those who possess the courage to admit it’s a problem, confront it as a weakness that needs to be addressed, and commit to making improvements will emerge as better leaders.

I often advise leaders to focus less on improving their weaknesses and more on optimizing their natural strengths.

But these two weaknesses are too critical to ignore.

P.S. Have you downloaded your copy of The Ultimate Interview Guide? If not, take a minute to do so now. It’s a resource every leader should keep handy to improve the quality of their new hires.