Developing Others as Leaders

3.2 Discussion. Strengths and Opportunities

Getting Started

According to Strengths expert, Tom Rath, a strength is the ability to provide consistently near-perfect performance and results when a person invests in their raw talent. Over the past several decades, organizational leaders have focused on developing strengths rather than protecting against weaknesses. By focusing on maximizing strengths, a person can take their dominant talent and multiply it with their skills, knowledge, and practice. Much of the recent literature suggests that one is usually better off devoting their efforts into building existing strengths to be even stronger rather than to devote considerable effort to trying to change weaknesses. However, the exception to that is when one’s weakness is so significant that it undermines much/most of their strengths to the extent that they are rendered completely ineffective.

As you begin this discussion, keep in mind the work that you have completed in LDR 365 and LDR 370 on the psychology of leadership as well as the "toxic" and machiavellian leadership components. To understand strengths, a leader must also understand weaknesses.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Discuss different ways to identify strengths.

· Explain the importance of strength development to leadership development.

Background Information

Your preparation for this discussion forum begins by reading the articles “ Why Leaders Need to Cultivate Complementary Strengths(new tab) ” by Bregman (2018) and “ Develop Whole Leaders With Tool-Based Coaching(new tab) ” by McKenna and Hallak (2019) and reviewing the two videos in this week’s Workshop Overview (LDT: please link).

You also have access to Rath and Conchie’s (2008) book “ Strengths-based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow(new tab) ” through OCLS as a reference.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Review the information in Getting Started and Background Information sections.

3. In your initial discussion post (250-300 words), based upon your reading and review, discuss strengths identification.

a. How might you help others identify their strengths and opportunities?

b. What are different ways you might identify others’ strengths effectively?

c. How might you as a leader approach weakness that undermines or works against someone’s strengths?

d. How might one guard against overusing their strengths to the point the strength becomes a weakness?

e. Who has helped you identify your strengths in the past? What did they do? How did you receive their feedback?

f. Is there anything you might apply to others in your organization for their development?

4. Be sure to incorporate at least two additional sources beyond assigned material in this course.

5. All postings should be thoughtful, but succinct. Please remember to cite your work where appropriate (APA, 7th ed