Strengths-Based Leadership (and Followership) Presented by Eric K. Kaufman July 23, 2013
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Strengths-Based Leadership (and Followership)
Presented by Eric K. Kaufman July 23, 2013
Who is Eric Kaufman?
• Associate Professor & Extension Specialist
• Lead researcher for VALOR program launch
• Coordinator of VT’s Graduate Certificate in Collaborative Community Leadership
• Former H.S. AgriScience Teacher
Our Agenda…
1. Personalizing Leadership
2. Principles of Strengths-Based Leadership
3. Partnering with Courageous Followers
4. Strategies for Application
Virginia Agriculture’s Interest (Kaufman et al., 2010)
“Growing new leaders and enhancing the skills of current leaders is vitally important to the future of
agriculture.”“I believe that the more involved one becomes in
problem solving, working in team/group settings with a strong community commitment the more people
can work together to solve any and all problems their community is faced with. Since agriculture is so critical anything we can do to provide leadership
learning in this area would be extremely beneficial.”
VALOR Vision StatementThe Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) program will provide a
sustainable future for Virginia's agricultural community by maximizing potential for successful growth through a system of
networking, collaborative decision-making, and development of strong leaders.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP?
GALLUP POLL – LEADERSHIP ABILITY
Out of 1,001 U.S. adults surveyed, 97% rated their ability to lead as being at or above average.
97%
3%
At or Above Average
Below Average
What % of U.S. adults rate their leadership ability as being at or above average?
GALLUP POLL – LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Out of 1,001 U.S. adults surveyed, more than two-thirds reported that they have led a group or team.
67%
33%
Led a Group or Team
Yes No
What % of U.S. adults have led a group or team?
How Do You Define Leadership?
• Defining Leadership through Personalized Plates– Use template to create a
personalized license plate that identifies a characteristic of leadership.
– Your plate may have a combination of up to seven letters, numbers, and/or special characters.
– Creativity is encouraged.
How Do You Define Leadership?
• Defining Leadership through Personalized Plates– Use template to create a
personalized license plate that identifies a characteristic of leadership.
– Your plate may have a combination of up to seven letters, numbers, and/or special characters.
– Creativity is encouraged.
Caveat on Studying Leadership
“The distinctive feature of leadership is that it would appear the more we learn about leadership, the more
we realize we have to and want to learn.” (Jackson & Parry, 2008, p. 9)
Leadership Defined“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.”
– Colin Powell, American statesman and retired four-star general in the United States Army
“Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.”
– James Kouzes & Barry Posner, leadership researchers and authors of The Leadership Challenge
“Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.”
– Peter Northouse, professor of communication and author of Leadership: Theory and Practice
Five Ways to Study Leadership (Jackson & Parry, 2008)
• Attempt to lead• Observe leadership in action• Talk about leadership• Read about leadership• Write about leadership
Exemplary Leadership Practices (Kouzes & Posner, 2007)
Challenging the Process
Inspiring a Shared Vision
Enabling Others to Act
Modeling the Way
Encouraging the Heart
FINDING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
Multi-Level View of Leadership Development (Avolio, 2005)
Life Experiences
Talents & Capacities
Self Aware
Self-Regulate
Self-Develop
Triggers
Culture
Vision
How am I Supported?
Where do I come from?
Who am I?
Personal SWOT Analysis
Strengths•What do you do well?•What do others see as your strengths?
Weaknesses•What could you improve?•What are others likely to see as weaknesses?
Opportunities•What trends could you take advantage of?•How can you turn your strengths into opportunities?
Threats•What trends could harm you?•What threats do your weaknesses expose you to?
Time Remaining:
Personal SWOT• Complete the SWOT worksheet
STOP!
What do we do with the SWOT data?According to Gallup’s research the most effective leaders:1. Are always investing in strengths2. Surround themselves with the right people
and then maximize their team3. Understand their followers needs
• Reference: Rath & Conchie’s (2008) Strengths Based Leadership
STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP
Early Leadership Theory: Traits
• Premise: – All great leaders have
common traits• Challenge:
1. Identify the leadership traits
2. Make people with those traits the leaders
Explaining Leadership Differences: Style Approaches to Leadership
Leadership Grid Situational Leadership
Strengths-Based Leadership
• Argues that we all have innate talents to be developed into strengths
• Views leadership as a collective process
• Recommends different strengths for different leadership situations
Leadership Myths and Truths Myths
– Each of us can be anything we want to be if we just work hard.
– We grow most where we are weakest.– Strengths will take care of themselves.
Truths– You can be anything your strengths allow you
to be.– We grow most in the areas we are already
strong.– I can be taught knowledge and skills, but I
can’t learn talents.
“A leader needs to know his strengths as a carpenter knows his tools, or as a physician knows the instruments at her disposal. What
great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths – and can call on the right strength at the right time. This explains why
there is no definitive list of characteristics that describes all leaders.”
- Donald O. Clifton, Gallup Researcher and Father of Strengths Psychology
What is a Strength? Weakness?
STRENGTH• Consistent, near perfect performance
in an activity
= STRENGTH
WEAKNESS• Something that gets in the way of
excellent performance
Knowledge + Skills + Talents
INDICATORS OF WEAKNESS • Feel defensive about performance
– Develop obsessive behavior• Exhibit slow learning
– Do not profit from with repeated experience• Experience a reduction of confidence
from performing the activity• Lack futuristic thinking about the activity• Suffer burnout while practicing
How Do I Find My Strengths?
Listen to your yearnings
Watch for satisfactions
Watch for rapid learning
Glimpses of excellence
Total performance of excellence
Domains of Leadership Strength
Executing Relationship Building
Strategic Thinking Influencing
Task-Oriented
People-Oriented
Future-Oriented
Present-Oriented
Executing Domain
Description• Know how to make things
happen
• Have ability to “catch” an idea and make it happen
Talent Themes• Achiever• Arranger• Belief• Consistency• Deliberative• Discipline• Focus• Responsibility• Restorative
Relationship Building Domain
Talent Themes• Adaptability• Developer• Connectedness• Empathy• Harmony• Includer• Individualization• Positivity• Relator
Description• Provide essential glue
that holds the team together
• Create groups and organizations that are much greater than the sum of their parts
Strategic Thinking Domain
Description• Keep us all focused on
what could be
• Constantly absorbing and analyzing information and helping the team make better decisions
Talent Themes• Analytical• Context• Futuristic• Ideation• Input• Intellection• Learner• Strategic
Influencing Domain
Talent Themes Description• Help the team reach a
broader audience
• Take charge, speak up, and make sure the group is heard
• Activator• Command• Communication• Competition• Maximizer• Self-Assurance• Significance• Woo
What Are Others’ Strengths?• Discover the strengths and domains of others
– Complete the worksheet with those around you
• Draw one inclusive picture of the main strengths of those in your group– Include in the picture
• The Strengths• The Domains
Time Remaining:
Prepare a hieroglyphic that represents collaborative use of strengths represented in your group
STOP!
Gallup’s Approach to Strengths-Based Development
COURAGEOUS FOLLOWERS
Leaders vs. Followers
Common Purpose
A New Model of Leader-Follower Relationships
Leader Followers
Shared ValuesLeaders and Followers
Serve a Common Purpose Pursued Within Shared Values
46
Leader-Follower Organization
Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er
Source: Gene Dixon
Five Dimensions of Courageous Followership
Courageto
Assume Responsibility for common purpose
Support leader and
group energetically
Take moral action when needed
Participate in transformation
Constructively challenge counterproductive policies & behaviors
FOLLOWERS’ BASIC NEEDS (ACCORDING TO GALLUP POLLS; RATH & CONCHIE, 2008)
• Trust– Chances of being engaged at work when the
individual does not trust the company’s leaders is just 1 in 12.
• Compassion– Those who indicate “My supervisor, or someone at
work, seems to care about me as a person” are:• Significantly more likely to stay with the
organization• Substantially more productive
FOLLOWERS’ BASIC NEEDS (continued) (ACCORDING TO GALLUP POLLS; RATH & CONCHIE, 2008)
• Stability– Those with high confidence in their company’s
financial future are nine times more likely to be engaged in their jobs.
• Hope– Among those who disagreed that their company’s
leadership made them “feel enthusiastic about the future,” only 1% were engaged in their jobs.
Leader-Follower Organization
Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er
Leader-fo llow er
50Source: Gene Dixon
What Strong Teams Have in Common (Rath & Conchie, 2008)
1. Conflict doesn’t destroy strong teams because strong teams focus on results
2. Strong teams prioritize what’s best for the organization and then move forward
3. Members of strong teams are as committed to their personal lives as they are to their work
4. Strong teams embrace diversity5. Strong teams are magnets for talent
APPLYING WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
Lesson for Practice
“A leader is someone who can get things done through other people.”
-Warren Buffet
Where Can We Apply Leadership?
• Business
• Community
• Family
• Professional Organizations
Multi-Level View of Leadership Development (Avolio, 2005)
Life Experiences
Talents & Capacities
Self Aware
Self-Regulate
Self-Develop
Triggers
Culture
Vision
How am I Supported?
What am I Experiencing?
How do I develop and behave?
Where do I come from?
Who am I?What am I becoming?
Your Individual Development Plan
• Name It
• Claim It
• Aim It
Implications for You and Others?
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