A strength-based approach to leadership
“The far greater challenge is to broaden the scope of leadership to include everyone’s strengths.”
WWDA Member
Have you heard of a strength-based approach?
You might have come across the term if you have worked or volunteered at a community centre or attended therapy – but did you know it is also great in leadership? It’s a way of working with people (others and yourself) that focuses on what a person is good at and builds from those strengths. A strength-based approach aims to recognise and nurture the best parts of a person, so they can try new things, grow, and succeed with confidence. This means that when you approach a task you start with what you already know is within yours or someone else’s current knowledge and ability.
A strength-based approach also means seeing what we are less good at as ‘areas for improvement or support’ rather than weaknesses. This is far more effective in growing confidence and skills and often helps develop a can-do way of thinking. In fact, what we consider to be our weaknesses may become our greatest strengths as leaders.
For example, you might feel like you aren’t a great public speaker because you get nervous. This means you can encourage and support others who feel the same, by sharing that you understand how they feel and that you get nervous too. You might also notice you feel nervous because you care about delivering an important message. This means you may put more effort into writing and delivering the speech which is a strength. You might also take an iPad with you. This means that if you feel too nervous to speak, your iPad can read out your speech to support you to deliver your important message.
Here is a real-life example from a WWDA member.
A friend is feeling overwhelmed by her workload. A strength-based approach might look like the following:
Identify strengths
Your first move might be to think about her strengths and positive qualities. For example, maybe she is very organised, an excellent problem-solver, and usually very good at remaining calm under pressure. Reminding her of her strengths is a great boost for her motivation.
Build from strengths
You might then suggest she take a step back and look at her workload again with these strengths and positive qualities in mind. Maybe she uses her problem-solving skills to prioritise tasks based on importance. Maybe she uses her organisational skills to break down larger projects into smaller steps.
Keep communication open
It’s also a good idea to suggest she reach out again if she feels overwhelmed or needs more support. Sometimes when we are very involved in something, we need the people around us to point out what may seem like obvious answers!
Provide emotional support and encouragement
Never underestimate the value of emotional support. Providing non-judgemental support helps boost confidence and self-belief, which are big factors in becoming a more compassionate leader. You also need to take care of yourself. Sometimes providing emotional support can be difficult or overwhelming.
We will explore safe leadership in further detail later in this toolkit.
Offer practical support
You might also be able to offer your friend practical support based on your strengths and positive qualities. You might reduce workload stress by helping with specific tasks like proofreading or brainstorming. By offering support you are using actions as well as words to help your friend succeed.
In the section ‘care for self to care for community’ we discuss the importance of looking after yourself to make sure the support you offer others considers your own needs.
Celebrate achievements and progress
Once your friend starts to tackle her workload, make sure to recognise and celebrate her achievements. Celebrating milestones helps to reflect on effort and process, which encourages motivation.
Using a strength-based approach empowers people to tap into their positive qualities, strengths and resources. In leadership, this approach fosters positive and empowering relationships built on mutual support, encouragement, and belief in each other’s capabilities. People feel valued for what they bring to the table, and that can boost their confidence and skills as a leader.
It’s also a bonus when working or participating in teams, as each member brings different strengths, and this diversity allows for the group to achieve more.
A strength-based approach focuses on identifying strengths, boosting confidence, building self-worth, and encouraging connection. Developing these skills and core values can help us to explore how living with disabilities can make us great leaders.