How engineers, executives can improve their "leadership muscle"
If you want to be a better leader, identify your strengths and build on them. Here's a six-step plan on how to get started.
By Susan Myers, Myers Coaching & Consulting, Inc. -- EDN, May 22, 2007
How much time do exceptional leaders spend thinking about their weaknesses? Very little, actually. Exceptional leaders use their strengths; they don't let weakness get in their way.
To be a better leader, identify your strengths and build on them. Identify your weaknesses and work around them—don't waste time trying to compensate for them.
Why focus on your strengths?
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"People who plan to do something do it 45% of the time. People who tell someone they will do something, do it 65% of the time. People who are accountable to someone, do it 95% of the time." —American Society for Training and Development |
When you use your strengths, you radiate personal power and authenticity. You become clear about who you are and what you do. You draw attention to what you do best.
Trying to be all things to all people doesn't work. Trying to compensate for your weaknesses doesn't either. If you want to be a great leader you need to identify, build on, and radiate strength.
Going with your strengths also works for your business. When you know your strengths—and how to use them—you can develop your employees around those strengths to create a high-functioning organization.
Why focus on the strengths of your leadership team?
When team members develop based on their strengths, the organization benefits; morale and communication improve. Another advantage of a strengths-based model for engineers and IT professionals is that leaders can use it for balancing work teams.
Members of engineering project teams often have similar strengths profiles. This can make the team strong in some areas but weak in others. Knowing how to balance a team with a strengths-based model helps leaders create high performing work teams.
People work for money, but feeling good about their work goes a long way to improve morale, productivity, longevity, and the company's reputation.
What are your strengths?
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"Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they look at you with a blank stare, or they respond in terms of subject knowledge, which is the wrong answer." —Peter F. Drucker, Management Theorist and Business Author |
A strength is any recurring pattern of feeling, thinking, or behaving that can be productively applied. Various tools are available to help you determine your strengths.
The StrengthsFinder Profile from Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton's well-known book Now, Discover Your Strengths is good for identifying strengths. This book is based on years of research by the Gallup Organization. Strengths come in forms of Achiever, Strategic, Communication, and so on. The profile identifies your top strengths.
Do you know your strengths but haven't changed your leadership style?
People don't want to let go of old behaviors that have gotten them where they are. We all fear someone will discover we're not perfect. What an amazing transition when we switch to behaviors based on our strengths! We become truly effective leaders who waste less time and accomplish more.
How to get started?
Identify your strengths. Get a copy of "Now, Discover your Strengths" and complete the Strengths-Finder profile.Use Your Strengths. Start applying your newly identified strengths in small increments; for example, design your next presentation around your strengths. If Vision is your strength but Strategy is not, start delegating more details of project or presentations to subordinates.Create Accountability for Change. You are much more likely to alter your behavior when you're accountable to someone else.Have your leaders and managers learn their strengths.A cautionary note: Accomplishing this may take finesse, because strengths development sometimes sounds like pseudo-science to engineers and IT professionals. The situation may call for a professional consultant or coach.Use your organization's coach. If you have a corporate coach available in your organization, take advantage of every opportunity to use that resource.Use an external coach. Go outside of your organization to find a coach.The coach can help you identify and develop your strengths, and then put them to work.
Having accepted that a change is needed, buckle up—this is definitely worth the ride.
Susan Myers is president and founder of Myers Coaching & Consulting, Inc.
