Key to Team Innovation: Strengths-based Leadership

Welcome to Intergenerating! Every two weeks we will explore the intersection of intergenerational relationships, Gen Z professionals, and mental health in the workplace.

Created by Julie Lee, Ph.D., Gen Z work consultant, mental health strategist, and a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and Fast Company. Julie helps leaders and organizations create work climates that encourage all generations, including Gen Z leaders, to thrive and fully engage at work!

If you’ve ever ended up with something on your plate that didn’t match your expertise, you know how challenging it can be. When things get busy, it’s often up to managers to pick up the slack, even if it lies outside their job description. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s likely that someone on your team has precisely the skills you need – and that they'd be excited and jump at the chance to put them to good use. Fortunately, there is a solution that can help both of you to achieve your goals: strengths-based leadership.

What is strengths-based leadership?

Strengths-based leadership is a model of management that focuses on identifying and developing the strengths of individuals and teams to improve their performance and dynamic. The concept is based on research by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, who utilized a massive amount of data: 50 years of Gallup polls, 20,000 interviews with senior leaders and followers, and studies of more than a million teams from all over the world. They found that the most successful leaders did three things:

• Invested in their employees’ strengths
• Put together the right people to ensure the best team
• Understood the needs of their followers

Interestingly, the research indicated that no single strength was shared by all, or even the majority, of leaders. Instead, it’s more important for leaders to know their strengths—and those of their team—and how and when to use them.?

Benefits of a strengths-based approach

A strengths-based approach can benefit you and your team in a number of ways, from engagement to performance.?

With strengths-based leadership, research has shown that employees experience an increase in both team engagement and job satisfaction. Only one percent of employees become disengaged if their managers actively focus on their strengths, while 40 percent become disengaged if their key skills are ignored. When your team members are recognized for their strengths, you show them that you trust their abilities, and help them feel valued and appreciated. As a result, they'll likely feel more confident to speak up and express their own ideas and will be more likely to be motivated, productive, and remain with the company.

Leaders who take a strengths-based approach will be able to better understand which tasks individuals will excel at—and which they won’t—and make decisions accordingly. Essentially, teams can help fill each other's knowledge and skill gaps.?

What does that look like? This can look like having your technology whiz team member train other members of your team, or by shifting people to projects that align with their skill sets and interests. Recognizing a team member builds confidence, helping employees feel more validated and motivated. An article in the Journal of Strategic Leadership tells us that “When an organization’s leadership does not focus on individual strengths, that employee has only a 9% chance of being engaged. However, when an organization’s leadership focuses on individual strengths, employees have a 73% chance of being engaged.”

What leaders can do?

Leaders who want to try a strengths-based approach can do so a number of ways:

• The first step to becoming a strengths-based leader: identify your strengths and the strengths of your team! Use assessment or interviews to find out!
• Create an environment where vulnerability is seen as a strength, rather than a weakness. You can set an example by sharing their own vulnerabilities and creating a safe space for others to do the same. This ensures that teams feel safe sharing their ideas, concerns, and emotions openly without fear of judgment.?
• Foster trust and positive relationships among your team. When disputes do occur among your staff, be proactive and mediate to minimize negative interactions. Help them to understand and approach each member’s strengths!
• Lead by example. Use your own strengths to establish consistent patterns of behavior that exemplify the desired culture and promote an environment of inclusivity and positivity among your staff.??
• Set aside time for employees to interact and focus on shared interests to allow them to discover commonalities and relatedness, strengthening their bonds and fostering a positive work environment.

Embracing a strengths-based leadership approach not only aligns individual skills with tasks but also cultivates a positive and engaged work environment. By recognizing and investing in the strengths of your team, you not only boost job satisfaction and engagement but also build a productive and innovative workforce.?

Interested in learning more??I offer training and workshops for leaders so that they can be effective leaders of Gen Z professionals.?Contact me via LinkedIn or at [email protected].

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