Focus on your Strengths
Tim Elsmore writes on GrowingLeaders.com about hearing Marcus Buckingham speak about how successful leaders focus on building upon individual and team strengths, rather trying to fix what's wrong, or bring a weakness up to an average aptitude. Read the article here.
"It Just Sounds Strange
For some reason it just sounds strange to say: Work on your strengths. We feel more comfortable and natural saying: Work on our weaknesses. After all, we want well-rounded people...don’t we? So, we try to shore up what’s wrong. To understand health, we study disease. To understand marriage, we study divorce. We naturally focus on what’s wrong. The truth is, outstanding schools, churches and businesses do just the opposite. Great ones seem to possess two ingredients:
- They have great managers or leaders
- Those managers focus on linking talent with goals
Good leaders concentrate on the strengths of each person on their team. They find out what’s unique about a person and capitalize on it. They help others thrive in the area of their strengths and they manage around their weaknesses. They don’t necessary try to “fix the flaws.” They recognize people will always have weaknesses—and they keep them from work that involves their weakness. They figure: why de- energize a team member that way? These leaders define their job with one phrase: “I turn talent into performance.” They see themselves as catalysts for strengths." - Elsmore Post
Buckingham has written books such as, First, Break All The Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths. His website has a number of resources, including several audio seminars on building on your strengths.
I believe this is an important lesson for law firm leaders. Too often we put attorneys (and staff) in roles of leadership for the wrong reason. Perhaps it was previous success in rainmaking, or managing a large client, or as detailed-oriented staff person. In law firms the desire to success and be recognized for our contribution is very high. But sometimes we ask people to perform in areas that are not a the right match - we are not building on their strengths.
What can you do today help your team members build on their strengths? What are your strengths and how can you build on them, rather than spend more energy improving your weaknesses to become simply average?
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