How can strength-based leadership support a community of practice?
Each of us has our own gifts, talents or strengths, and we often most engaged, fulfilled, and productive when we apply those abilities to our work.
Strength-based leadership is a method that is aligned along those lines. Its focus is based upon the strengths of people. This approach is a method of working with and resolving problems by focusing on the individual strengths and talents. As indicated by Rath (2007, p.iii), “People who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life.”
When a community embrace self-based leadership practice, they encourage seeing beyond the negative behaviors and barriers, while focusing on what is the potential of the community. Strengths based leadership can support a community of practice in that it(1) frees leaders to focus on developing the gifts and talents they possess,(2)roles and responsibilities are assigned according to strengths that people have, (3) Employee engagement is evident, people are focused, relaxed, yet goal-oriented, and (4) Employees are more likely to be non-competitive, appreciative and have high regard for each other’s strengths, empathizing and supporting each other in areas of challenge and weakness(Rath, 2007)
To conclude, Strength-based leadership approach is a new paradigm shift from the focus of,
“what doesn’t work” to “what works.” A positive approach.
References
Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0. New York: NY: Gallup Press.
Angela, What an awesome post! I enjoyed how you focused on key words such as strengths/talents/gifts, positivity, and potential as they contrast with weaknesses, negativity, and barriers. Even in posting my reply to you, I feel energized by the positive, productive words and drained by the negative connotations. In reality, how does a community of practice develop with a focus on the later? I can well imagine that it would be laden with disengaged, unfulfilled, and unproductive individuals.
ReplyDeleteI most appreciate your very well conceptualized list of reasons that a strengths-based approach can support a community of practice. In particular, I want to extract two words you used in your descriptions -- "freeing" and "supporting." What great words to describe the process of strengths-based leadership. It certainly does free us all to be creative and to focus on our gifts as well as to support each other in the process.
You did it again Angela! I really appreciate your post. I think it is important for people to get out of the habit of trying to train their employees to be the same, each person has their own strengths, gifts, and beliefs. Important is to let people utilize their strength in their workplace. What a change of attitude and sense of pride employees can build for their work place! The more I research, analyze, and apply Tom Rath's idea and vision the more it makes complete sense; such a positive approach!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the great information is very useful and informative. It is inspire me a lot.
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