For: Leaders and Managers
Formats: Introduction to Strategic Strengths Leadership—1-day, 8 hour format
Strategic Strengths Selection—1-day, 8-hour format
Strategic Strengths Development—1 day, 8-hour format
Strategic Strengths Performance—1-day, 8-hour format
Strengths-Based Strategic Planning—1-day, 8-hour formatIntroduction to Strategic Strengths Leadership

Strategic Strengths Leadership is the capstone of the Strengths Strategy Leader Discovery series.  It is about unlocking strengths-based systems in service of sustaining remarkable outcomes for both individuals and organizations.   It implies that strengths-based systems strategically grow out of a strengths-based mindset and clear, strengths-based practices that become part of a different approach to leadership—one that leads to high engagement, performance, productivity, teamwork, and trust.

Strategic Strengths Leadership is a very simple, but powerful brand of leadership—one that expands brilliance from the inside out, in service of building strengths to achieve great things, to create winning at all four levels of organizational leaders[1]:  with Self (as strengths development leads to greater confidence, productivity, [2] and happiness), with Others (as relationships of trust deepen and performance improves[3]), and at the Team level (as teams become more complimentary and work more effectively together), [4] and at the Organization level (as customer loyalty[5] and operating margins increase,[6] and turnover, [7] absenteeism, [8] and safety incidents decline[9]).

Strategic Strengths Leaders recognize the importance of three elements, all of which are critical to effective results through strengths:

  • Strengths—what a leader must know about his/her own strengths/others in order to be at one’s best (and help others to be at their best)
  • Competence—what leaders must do with strengths in order to create growth for Others, Team, and the Organization.
  • Character—what leaders must be in order to have credibility and be perceived as authentic.

Outcomes

This learning experience, when implemented along with Discovery, Team Discovery, and Strategic Strengths Development Coaching, will result in 15-20% gains in employee:

  • Engagement
  • Productivity
  • Teamwork
  • Trust
  • Communication
  • Performance

Learner Objectives

Participants will:

  • Recognize their own leadership strengths, and how their leadership strengths can be maximally leveraged to achieve effective outcomes
  • Learn how to develop strengths in service of clearly aligned team/organizational goals
  • Become adept at creating an individualized approach to working with others (which takes into account both their own strengths/style, as well as that of the other person)
  • Recognize and value the role of both strengths AND weaknesses in developing effective employees
  • Become adept at designing weakness management strategies
  • Understand the principles of effective strengths-based hiring
  • Conduct Strategic Strengths Development Discussions
  • Design an action plan to implement strategic strengths performance management

[1] Covey, Stephen R.. Principle-Centered Leadership. FranklinCovey Press. 1994.

[2] Watson, Wyatt, “Employee Commitment Remains Unchanged,” 2002.

[3] Linley, Alex. Average to A+–Realizing Strengths in Yourself and Others, CAPP Press. 2008.

[4] Buckingham, Marcus.  Live presentation–Minneapolis.  2007.

[5] Buckingham, Marcus, and Clifton, Donald O. Now Discover Your strengths. Gallup Press. 2002.

[6] Wagner, Rodd and James K. Harter, 12 Elements of Great Managing, Gallup Press.  2006.

[7] Lockwood, Nancy R. “Leveraging Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage: HR’s Strategic Role”; HR Magazine, March 2007

[8] Wagner, Rodd and James K. Harter, 12 Elements of Great Managing, Gallup Press.  2006.

[9] Buckingham, Marcus, and Clifton, Donald O. Now Discover Your strengths. Gallup Press. 2002.