Secondly, leverage of one’s strengths is key to leadership. Iceland doesn’t have many resources, and through the majority of its existence since the late 9th century, has been hobbled by events completely outside of its control, most notably volcanic activity. Throughout the 15th and 16th century, regular volcanic activity decimated agricultural output and led to mass fluorosis, in turn killing up to 50% of the population.
But nowadays, that liability is recognized to be its greatest strength. Geothermal activity permits Iceland to have bountiful output of electricity (in addition to hydroelectric dams). It also is the source of so much of its tourism revenue. But this change didn’t occur overnight: intense research has been performed in order to develop the technologies necessary to harness geothermal energy, and efforts continue to this very day.
On a personal level, their experiences teach us that strengths and weaknesses are largely what we make of them, and that even though we have limited initial control over these, our understanding and mastery of these strengths/weaknesses and leveraging these in the right way can propel us forward to be leaders.