What do you want to know about leadership in the workplace? Here we will tackle a question or issue about professional development and organizational management.
What are your strengths as a leader?
Not so long ago at an after-work meeting with a couple of very bright women executives – one a banking VP, the other a lawyer – the subject of developing our strengths as leaders came up.
I am a firm believer that you should devote most of your time operating in your strengths while minimizing your weaknesses. No one is great at EVERYTHING.
To accomplish things, as a leader you have to be able to identify others who have strengths that offset your weak points. When people function in their strengths, they are more productive, more motivated and more engaged in their jobs and duties.
So during our conversation, one of the women suggested a book/plan, titled Strengthsfinder 2.0, that helped her and her team better distinguish their strengths. After taking the assessment, she realized that she had developed new strengths and competencies over time but had not paid attention to or articulated them before.
Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath is a research-based guide that includes an online evaluation of your attributes and abilities. Once completed, you are given a report on your core strengths or themes. The corresponding book outlines how to further develop and use them at work, home and in the community.
So, I decided to take the Strengthsfiner 2.0 challenge, and the results were affirming. Among my core attributes: Achiever (my drive), Developer (my desire to help others succeed) and Responsibility (my sense of ownership).
As leaders we must first take stock of what we are good at so that we can be effective in leading others. According to Rath, each person has greater potential for success in specific areas, and the key to human development is building on who you already are.