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Personality traits can develop, in part, as adaptive responses to earlier life demands.

The same traits that drive success in one season can become limiting in another.

Growth requires expanding the range of how traits show up, not eliminating them.

One of the most confusing parts of personal growth is realizing that the very traits that helped you succeed in one season of life can start to work against you in another. This is what I call the personality paradox—let me show you what it can look like.

Kelly: Reliable, Organized, and Overlooked

When I started working with Kelly, she was a mid-level manager at her company. She was the one everyone relied on. Her door was always open for questions, she’d return your email within six hours (usually faster), and her reports were always on time and accurate.

Kelly was proud of this reputation. She was also exhausted and, if she was honest with herself, starting to feel a little resentful. She had put her name in the hat for a promotion at work and was passed over. The feedback she received was that leadership didn’t yet see her as operating at a more strategic, innovative........

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