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Strengths Focused

Leadership

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Definition of StrengthsUnderlying qualities that energise us,

contribute to ourpersonal growth and

lead to peak performance

Brewerton and Brook, 2006 - Strengthscope

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Strength and Talent Strengthconsistent, near perfect

performance in an activity. The key here isconsistent for something to be a strength,

they must be able to demonstrate it over andagain.

Talentnaturally recurring patterns ofthought, feeling or behaviour. These are

peoples innate abilities; the raw materialsfor building strengths.

Buckingham.M Now, Discover Your Strengths2005

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Pre-existing

Capacity

Behaving

Thinking

Feeling

Authentic Energising

Optimal Functioning

DevelopmentPerformance

STRENGTHS

Authentic Energising

Realising your strengths- a model

Professor Alex

LinleyDirector, CAPP

GrowingSuccess

September 18,2008

Glasgow

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What 3 words describe

YOU at your best?

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Buckingham and Clifton at GallupWhen people are given the opportunity to do

what they do best every day at work, their

organisation is more likely to have:

50% higher retention

38% more productivity

44% better customer satisfaction

Yet only 20% of employees in large organisations

feel that they use their strengths every day at work

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Do you use your strengths every day at

work? U.S.A. 32%

Canada 30%

China 14% Japan 15%

U.K. 17%

Germany 26% France 13%

Gallup 2007 global client database)

Caret, 2008. All Rights Reserved

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Strengths focus = engagement

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Biggest Drivers of Engagement

Fairness and accuracy of informal feedback

(39.1%)

Emphasis on performance strengths (36.4%) Autonomy (36.1%)

Internal communication (34.4%)

Working on the things you do best (28.8%)

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Organisations - Flawed Assumptions

Each person can learn to be competent in

almost anything. Each persons greatest room for growth is in

his or her areas of greatest weakness.

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strengths-based model

Each persons talents are enduring and

unique. Each persons greatest room for growth is

in the areas of his/her greatest strength.

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Business CaseFocus on weaknesses or strengths?

Employee performance is, on average, 36% higher when line managersfocus their appraisals on staffs strengths and talents (CorporateLeadership Council, 2005).

Customer retention is 44% higher in companies where people are allowedto do what they do best every day (Harter et al, 2002).

Teams with line managers who take a strengths-based approach are 86%more effective than teams which dont (Gallup, 2002).

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Gallup Poll asked parents: Your child shows you the following

grades. English-A; Social Studies-A; Biology-C; Algebra-F.

Which grade deserves the most attention from you? . . .

7%

77%

22%

52%

6%

83%

7%

87%

18%

43%

8%

56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

U.S. UK Canada France Japan China

Percent A's

Percent F's

Around the world a majority of parents believe

that the F deserves the most attention.

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Roots of Strengths Focus

Positive PsychologyMartin Seligman

VIA (Values in Action) questionnaire24

character strengths http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu

Concept of FLOWMihaly Csikszentmihalyibeing completely involved in an activity

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Strengths in Balance

Kaplan and Kaiser

(2009)

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Strengths in Balance

Under used or

underestimated

Over used or

overestimated

Self awareness

Self management

Appropriate use

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Example - Resilience

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What happened to weaknesses?

Allowable no significant impact

Limiting impacts and needs managing

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Mini Essay

This week the mini theory essay is on 'Strengths based leadershiphas more advantages than disadvantages. Discuss' in 500words. Research conducted by Gallup since 2002 suggeststhat if organisations focus on their peoples strengths then theworkforce will have a higher level of engagement which can

bring beneficial results to the organisation. However, Kaiserand Kaplan in their article Stop overdoing your strengthsargue that it is possible for your strengths to become yourweaknesses. So in order to answer the essay do the following:

1. Read the resources provided in class and on Blackboard onstrengths based leadership. 2. Write your essay rememberingto look at the guidance in your MSG on academic writing

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Mini Essay

What is SBL?

What are the arguments that it is a good thing?

Retention, productivity, customer satisfaction,

employee engagement.

What are the arguments that it can be a problem? No

focus on weaknesses? Too much focusing on

strengths can turn them into a weakness Need for a balanced approach/versatility

Conclusion?

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Self-Reflection Piece This week the reflective piece is on 'How can strengths based leadership

help me?' in 300 words. In order to do this you need to do the following:

1. Read the lecture notes and the handouts provided for this week. 2.

Reflect on the activities we did in class and then do the following:

DESCRIPTION Briefly describe the activities relating to skills and SBL

INTERPRETATION What was the result of these activities? What are

your strengths? What happened? OUTCOME What have you learned about yourself and your leadership

practice? Will you focus on your strengths or on your areas for

development? How can SBL help you?

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Some sources

Buckingham. M and Clifton.D (2005)Now, Discover your

Strengths London: PocketBooks

Goffee.R and Jones,S. Why should anyone be led by You?

Linley.A (2008) Growing Success September 18, 2008Glasgow Conference proceedings

Kaplan,R.E. and Kaiser,R.B. (2009) Stop over doing your

strengths. Harvard Business Review February pp 100-103

www.Strengthscope.com http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu

http://www.strengthscope.com/http://www.strengthscope.com/