Strength-based Leadership -- Building a Community of Practice

     Let's admit it: We all like to be recognized for those areas in which we excel; we like to know our strengths are making a difference in the world around us.  Still, how often does it really happen that we hear these positive comments?
   
     When I worked with at-risk youth, it was a mission of ours to make sure we gave them at least seven positive comments to every piece of constructive feedback.  We were essentially trying to fill their emotional bank accounts - with legitimate praise - so they had something positive they could continue to improve upon, rather than feel they could never amount to much because they were always being told what they were doing wrong.
   
      This is a central concept around which we did some self-evaluation this week in our understanding of our own strengths as teach leaders in our communities.  After delving into a thorough and dynamic online assessment conducted by Gallup, Inc. based around the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book by Tom Rath, we discovered our core strengths.  These strengths basically operate out of a collection of themes designed to help people recognize these strengths in our daily lives.
   
     I believe if we all were able to recognize these strengths more often throughout our day we may be able to start fully utilizing them on a regular basis.  When we lead from our personalized core strengths, we build a daily practice of strength-based leadership.  By leading in this manner, we can help others identify their core strengths.  This, in turn, will enable others to recognize and appreciate their own strengths.  The environment we create is one of daily recognition and practice.  A cycle of genuine reinforcement of these strengths will then become the norm and we will all want to strive together toward making a difference.