There isn’t one single correct way to be a great leader, but great leaders are better equipped to achieve business objectives, lead high-performing teams, and create better employee experiences.
But how do we develop great leaders?
With so many wonderful leadership development programs, competency models, and assessment tools available, it can be hard to choose. Having spent a decade utilizing many of these resources as both a facilitator and participant, I believe that a strengths-based approach provides unique versatile benefits for both the participants and company. But it doesn’t need to replace your favorite development strategies. Rather, it can complement them by helping people develop self-awareness and motivation to practice new behaviors and apply authentic leadership skills in the real world.
What is Strengths-Based Development?
Born from positive psychology, strengths-based development focuses on abilities and capacities rather than deficits.
Traditional performance evaluations often grade competencies with a focus on improving lesser areas, or “fixing weaknesses”. While it’s essential to understand and address weaknesses, a strengths-based approach empowers people to develop natural talents as tools to achieve goals and overcome weaknesses.
Picture a manager that is naturally talented at relationship building but struggles with strategic problem solving. When the focus is to fix weaknesses, the manager will spend time and energy trying to improve their problem-solving skills, which may or may not have the desired impact on their day-to-day ability (depends on the manager’s capacity combined with the company’s training & development effectiveness).
Alternatively, a strengths approach encourages the manager to refine their natural relational skills as a tool for solving problems, overcoming the “weakness”. For example, collaborating with strong strategic thinkers to tackle complex problems. It allows the manager to feel more fulfilled along the way by spending more time working in strength areas while simultaneously learning from others and actively solving real problems in the workplace.
Whether you’re seeking development for yourself, your team, or your workforce, here are 5 major benefits of adopting a strengths-based development approach:
1. Authenticity
There is a difference between mimicking behaviors and developing skills. If you’ve ever failed a New Year’s resolution in the first few weeks of the year, you know that it’s quite challenging to change habitual behaviors, even when we really want to! How likely do you think you are to be successful in changing your behaviors long-term if they don’t align with your values, natural talent, motivations, abilities, or personality?
Earlier in my career, I frequently promoted team members into leadership roles—it was one of the most fulfilling parts of my job. One promotion, however, taught me an unforgettable lesson about the importance of authentic leadership.
This individual had natural relational and managerial talents, paired with a warm and friendly demeanor. Their strong rapport with the team made us confident that the transition would be seamless. But just weeks later, I hardly recognized them. Gone was their colorful, upbeat, positive presence. Instead, they were dressed in all black, carrying an uncharacteristically serious demeanor. The atmosphere in the workplace had shifted dramatically, from vibrant and engaged to gloomy and tense.
It didn’t take long to uncover the issue. The manager was mimicking their boss, a highly respected leader with a completely different leadership style—serious, formal, and stoic. Both the manager and their boss believed that replicating these behaviors was the key to great leadership. After all, it worked for the boss! Unfortunately, this clashed with the manager’s natural strengths and personality.
The result? Frustration and stress rippled through the workplace. The manager felt inauthentic and overwhelmed, the manager’s boss struggled to mentor someone so unlike themselves, and the team’s morale suffered under the weight of misaligned leadership.
Leadership isn’t about copying someone else’s style; it’s about understanding and leaning into your own. A strengths approach empowers people to develop leadership competencies through a lens that aligns with who they are. Thus, maximizing potential and likelihood of long-term success.
2. Engagement & Wellbeing
People that have the opportunity to use their strengths at work are six times more likely to be engaged and three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life (Gallup®). When we’re able to do what we do best, we feel more connected to our work and experience greater fulfillment.
Engagement is also a key factor for learning & development. Adults learn more effectively (and are more motivated to learn) when they’re genuinely interested in the material. Leadership development is no exception. A strengths approach helps create an individualized experience by empowering participants to learn more about themselves. This personalized aspect boosts engagement by making the learning process more relevant and meaningful. Participants gain insights that not only help them excel in their current roles, but also prepare them for future opportunities and challenges, extending beyond the workplace, positively impacting their lives.
3. Performance & Productivity
It’s no secret that engaged employees perform better and stay at the company longer. But engagement alone isn’t enough to overcome a lack of knowledge or ability. Throughout my experience in learning & development programs, I have witnessed participants become inspired by new concepts, eager to take action, and genuinely committed to personal and team growth. Yet, many struggle with one critical question: How do I practically apply this in my role?
A strengths-based approach can elevate development and performance management programs by providing a clear and actionable framework. It introduces a common language for setting goals and creating development plans—not just for self-development, but also for leaders and managers tasked with fostering growth within their teams.
This approach offers a practical pathway for leaders to reflect, learn, and practice new behaviors that enhance their abilities. By focusing on their strengths, leaders can improve their performance, achieve meaningful goals, and grow targeted skill sets.
4. Team Dynamics
Have you ever thought something was common sense, then felt frustrated when others didn’t share the same perspective? This is a natural bias—we assume that others see the world the way we do. In reality, we all learn different, process thoughts different, grow up in different cultures, and have different values.
In the workplace, we may expect others to share our abilities or capacities, particularly when comparing ourselves to peers or leaders. The result? Frustration, miscommunication, and even animosity.
You’ve likely experienced how easily team conflict can hinder productivity and create uncomfortable workplace cultures. This conflict exists at all levels of a business, whether you lead individual contributors, managers, or executives. It’s human nature.
A strengths-based approach flips this narrative. It encourages individuals to recognize and value the unique strengths of others. Rather than viewing differences as obstacles, team members learn to celebrate them as assets. By focusing on individual and team strengths, these activities can foster a greater sense of collaboration and mutual respect.
5. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a crucial leadership skill that extends far beyond having empathy and managing your own emotions. Emotionally intelligent leaders are self-aware, with a better understanding of who they are, their natural leadership style, values, and how these influence their beliefs, behaviors, and emotional responses. They are also socially aware and recognize how their emotions and actions affect the people around them—through decision-making, communication, perceptions, and expectations. This makes them better equipped to manage conflict, build productive working relationships, drive change, and inspire teams to accomplish shared objectives.
The foundation of EQ is self-awareness. You need to know yourself before you can effectively manage yourself and others. Strengths-based development helps build self-awareness with scientifically backed assessments like CliftonStrengths®, self-reflection, and other resources to help people learn more about themselves, and how to utilize that knowledge to improve their communication, influence change, make better leadership decisions, and so much more!
The Case for Strengths-Based Leadership Development
Leaders don’t become great by spending all of their energy trying squeeze into a perfect leadership mold. They become great by understanding who they are and learning how to utilize their strengths to achieve goals, overcome weaknesses, build trust, and inspire change. By empowering leaders to focus on what they naturally do best, organizations can foster engaged, high-performing, collaborative workplaces that are more effective and provide better experiences for everyone involved. At Leading For Tomorrow, we are passionate about helping leaders in all stages of their journeys discover and lean into their natural leadership talents.
Ready to Elevate your Leadership?
Let’s discuss how strengths-based development can help you, your team, or your business.
The information contained on this website is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup®, Inc. Opinions, views, and interpretations of the CliftonStrengths® or business advice provided, are solely the beliefs of Leading For Tomorrow LLC. Gallup®, CliftonStrengths®, StrengthsFinder®, and the 34 theme names of CliftonStrengths® are trademarks of Gallup®, Inc. All rights reserved. To learn more about CliftonStrengths®, please visit Gallup Access.