Evolving Leaders: Focus on Your Strengths

Welcome to Part 3 of my Learn to Dance on Jell-O series. (Read Part 1 and Part 2).

I recall when Sam, a former co-worker at a hardware company, received his MBA. He thought it was a logical next step in his career. Our employer thought so, too. They promoted him to a management position. Clearly he was qualified and ready. Or so they thought.

Sam was brilliant. Very analytical. He could solve some of the most challenging problems. Yet he was missing a critical competency to be an effective manager. He lacked people skills. He and his team soon began to struggle as a result. Missed deadlines and tension quickly become the norm. Co-workers asked for transfers, or just quit.

Sam and senior management decided that it was best if Sam step out of his management position and focus on what he did best. At first he was wounded. Then relieved. Why? Because he was able to focus on his strengths. He was a great value to the company by being able to do what he did best – solve difficult problems.

Find or Create the Right Opportunities for You

We all have strengths and weaknesses. If you want to be the best leader you can be, find or create situations that demonstrate your strengths. Of course, you don’t always know what you’re good at until you try, or at least think about what you might want to do based on your personality and interests.

After years of practice (and trial and error) I’ve found that incorporating some awareness to my leadership style helped me to know what I’m best at. Then do it as often as I can.

I used these two approaches to help gather information about my strengths:

1. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator has a second cousin that is not proprietary, inexpensive and gives much of the same information that the MBTI. Find the Keirsey Temperament Sorter here.

What you can expect to learn:

• Your natural competencies and how they are best used.
• Which temperaments are easy or difficult for you to work with.
• How you might use your temperament to work with others.

1. Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham. The program is designed to help readers identify their talents and build them into strengths. After you read the book, you can take an online strength assessment to help guide your career path.

I like these programs because they make us more mindful of what we do well.

How to Maximize Your Strengths

• Understand what is at the core of your best self. You can easily do this by taking one of the two above tests and reading the descriptions of your type and strengths.
• Find at least one way in your work life to create the right environment for you to shine. Reflecting on the descriptions of your type and strengths can help you accurately decide what role is best for you and what ways you can contribute best to the team and company.
• Focus on what you do best. It’s very stressful to work out of type or to not be in your sweet spot.

Put it into Practice

• Make a list based upon your understanding of your type/strengths. Try to make use of them every day. The worst role I ever played in leadership was as a detail-driven middle manager responsible for 1.5 million dollar training budget, and having to constantly analyze the programs. My strong suit is coaching, consulting and training, not administering. The role was antithetical and painful to me for a year.
• Encourage your colleagues to take the test. Use it as a lead in to discuss the importance of awareness and self-reflection.
• Focus each member of the team based on what they do best. Do a gap analysis asking “what skills and strengths do we need to make this team complete?”
• Use your insights to write a self-review, or to write your cover letter or resume. Highlight phrases that are true about you and show off your gifts and talents.

Next week's installment: Manage stress in a positive way.

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