STRENGTHS

THE STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP MODULE IN 3 SENTENCES

Strengths Based Leadership is an antidote to negativity and learned helplessness that often exist in deficit-based target driven systems.

Strengths Based Leadership is a journey of discovery into your strengths and the strengths of your team.

Strengths Based Leadership is an opportunity to use a strengths-based approach to problem-solving, innovation and engaging teams.

LEARNING INTENTIONS FOR THIS MODULE

Re-convene as a learning group.

Review and crystallise significant learning from How Full is Your Bucket.

Define the 4 strengths domains.

Map the Strengths of this learning community and explore impact of this on ideas for your team.

Plan to complete a Strengths Development Plan with your Thinking Partner, using the Thinking Environment framework.

UNDERPINNING THEORY

Drive: Daniel Pink.

How Full is Your Bucket: Clifton and Rath.

Strengths-Based Leadership: Conche and Rath.

Communities of Practice: Wenger.

The Development of Strengths Based Leadership

Many leaders and organisations have come to the simple but powerful realisation that to get the most out of people, you must build on their strengths. And yet, though the strengths-based approach is now conventional wisdom, the tools, and systems inside organisations such as performance appraisals, mandatory training, and succession planning systems, remain stubbornly remedial and almost exclusively focused on measuring skills and knowledge, finding gaps, and attempting to plug them. The conversation is not balanced. It’s unusual to be asked, ‘how might you use your strengths to improve your customer relationships?’ and more usual to be told, ‘you need to improve how you engage with customers. I suggest XYZ training and development’.

Strengths-based leadership is rooted in positive psychology and assumes that every person has their own specific combination of signature strengths that allow them to perform at their best (and that magnifying these strengths instead of repairing weaknesses helps people to be more productive and proficient. Strengths-based leaders help people to identify, utilise and develop their strengths.

Instead of ignoring weaknesses, strengths-based leaders make weaknesses less relevant by allocating tasks according to employees’ strengths and by stimulating collaboration between team members who have complementary strengths. Academic studies have shown that strengths-based leadership is associated with increased personal well-being, creativity, psychological well-being, performance, reduced burnout and absenteeism.

The strengths approach and the associated processes that we will share in this toolbox are aligned to a process called Appreciative Inquiry. In a nutshell this process is an individual and organisational mindset based on what’s working. It does not avoid challenging conversations, but shifts the starting point to thinking about how strengths can be used to ’fix’ things rather than the deficit based problem solving approach.

The short video touches the key theory.

The short video below gives a snapshot of the book Strengths Based Leadership which is a companion text to the Clifton Strengths Finder which you will be completing as part of this programme.

If you like to explore the academic underpinning theory and research, then please download the article below which explores the development of the Strengths Based Approach.

DOWNLOAD ACADEMIC UNDERPIN

The Journey to a Strengths Based Approach

There is an appreciation that individuals discovering their strengths is not enough. In the IN PRACTICE section of this toolbox you will find more helpful resources and plans to help you to put this thinking into action where you are.

TAKING THE STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT

Each leader will access a code to complete an online Strengths Assessment called the Clifton Strengths Finder. Those on the first programme accessed this via a textbook, those of you on the second programme will also access the assessment via a different book called ‘How Full is your Bucket’.

Either way the assessment will provide you with a report of your top 5 strengths.

The short video below gives a snapshot of how the Clifton Strengths Finder was developed.

These may fall across the 4 domains shown below, only be in one domain or be across one or two – the assessment is unique to you and there are no right or wrong answers.

Executing: People with strengths in this key domain know how to rally around a goal and get things done. Differing strengths might dictate the style of getting to the goal, but people who have strengths in this area make a massive contribution to things happening.
Influencing: People with strengths in this key domain know how to share and embed the team’s ideas both inside and outside the organisation. These people are natural persuaders, inspire others to adopt their ideas and are vital to moving teams forward in communities.
Relationship Building: Those with strengths in this domain tend to keep groups together. They’re the social glue: the mortar between the foundation building blocks. They know how to create and maintain groups such that the whole is much greater than its parts.
Strategic Thinking: People with strengths in this domain tend to force the group to look at the big picture and toward the future – what might be. Always reviewing the data and applying what they learn, strategic thinkers move the organisation forward – stretching its members to think beyond what, to the possibilities of the future.

ACCUMULATOR RESULTS

STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW CLIFTON STRENGTHS FINDER

The Clifton StrengthsFinder identifies three keys to being an effective leader: knowing your strengths and investing in others’ strengths, getting people with the right strengths on your team, and understanding and meeting the needs of those who look to you for leadership.

There are four domains, with 34 signature strengths presented and analysed for each team which will help to establish a universal ‘strengths’ language across the NHS Supply Chain organisation.

OVERVIEW TO STRENGTHS DOMAINS

Executing: Teams that have a dominant strengths profile in this key domain know how to rally around a goal and get things done. Differing strengths might dictate the style of getting to the goal, but teams who have strengths in this area make a massive contribution to things happening.
Influencing: Teams that have a dominant strengths profile in this key domain know how to share and embed the ideas both inside and outside the organisation. These teams are natural persuaders, inspire others to adopt their ideas and are vital to moving forward in communities.
Relationship Building: Teams that have a dominant strengths profile in this key domain tend to keep the team and wider stakeholder groups together. They’re the social glue: the mortar between the foundation building blocks. They know how to create and maintain groups such that the whole is much greater than its parts.
Strategic Thinking: Teams that have a dominant strengths profile in this key domain tend to force the team/organisation to look at the big picture and toward the future – what might be. Always reviewing the data and applying what they learn, strategic thinkers move the organisation forward – stretching its members to think beyond the here and now, to the possibilities of the future.

BIG PICTURE RESULTS

Within the NHS Supply Chain organisation, 286 leaders from all levels, across all directorates/teams, submitted their strengths to the accumulator.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

10 people submitted their strengths to the accumulator for this team.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE EXECUTIVE TEAM

This team combines strong execution, relationship awareness, and strategic thinking to drive results and navigate complex challenges. Their growth opportunity lies in confidently championing decisions, expanding influence, and ensuring their impact is felt broadly across the organisation.

QUESTIONS FOR GROWTH

How can we leverage our execution and strategic thinking to ensure key initiatives gain maximum impact across the organisation?
How can we use our relationship awareness to strengthen alignment and engagement with stakeholders?
In what ways can we confidently champion decisions and expand our influence without compromising collaboration?

CEO OFFICE

2 people from the leadership team submitted their strengths to the accumulator.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CEO OFFICE

This team combines strong execution and relationship-building with the ability to influence and mobilize others. They are well positioned to drive action and maintain engagement. Their growth opportunity lies in strengthening strategic foresight to ensure decisions are informed by longer-term thinking and future impact.

QUESTIONS FOR GROWTH

How can we intentionally create space for longer-term strategic thinking alongside our strong delivery focus?
In what ways can we ensure our decisions are aligned to future priorities, not just immediate needs?
How can we use our influencing strength to champion a clear, forward-looking direction?

CLINICAL DIRECTORATE

7 people from the leadership team submitted their strengths to the accumulator for this directorate.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CLINICAL DIRECTORATE

This team excels in relationship-building, fostering collaboration, trust, and alignment across the organisation. Their growth opportunity lies in strengthening execution, leveraging strategic thinking, and confidently advocating for decisions to maximise their impact beyond immediate teams.

OBSERVATIONS AND QUESTIONS

How can we use our relationship strengths to drive alignment and collaboration across the organisation?
In what ways can we balance our focus on relationships with timely execution of key initiatives?
How can we build confidence in championing decisions and influencing stakeholders while maintaining strong team connections?

COMMERCIAL DIRECTORATE

101 people from the leadership team submitted their strengths to the accumulator for this directorate.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE COMMERCIAL DIRECTORATE

This team demonstrates a balanced blend of relationship-building, execution, and strategic thinking, enabling collaboration while delivering results. With a foundation of thoughtful decision-making and steady progress, their growth opportunity lies in strengthening influencing capability to amplify impact and drive broader organisational alignment.

OBSERVATIONS AND QUESTIONS

How can we leverage our collaborative and delivery strengths to drive even greater organisational impact?
In what ways can we more intentionally use our strategic thinking to shape long-term priorities?
How can we confidently increase our influence to ensure key messages and decisions resonate beyond our immediate teams?

CUSTOMER DIRECTORATE

43 people from the leadership team submitted their strengths to the accumulator for this directorate.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CUSTOMER DIRECTORATE

This team is relationship-centred, with balanced execution and strategic thinking that supports thoughtful, considered decision-making. They are well positioned to foster collaboration and steady progress. Their growth opportunity lies in strengthening influencing capability to amplify their voice and accelerate impact across the organisation.