Division of Student Affairs
Strengths Based Leadership
What happens when we focus on
what is RIGHT with people?
Why Are We Using StrengthsFinder?
 We believe that everyone has something to
contribute!
Rath & Conchie (2008) point out in Strengths Based Leadership: “whether
you are taking charge in a boardroom, on a construction site, or even in your
home, it is likely that you will find yourself leading at some point in your life.”
(p.1)
Drucker (1999) challenged people to consider: “what should my contribution
be? Given my strengths, my ways of performing, and my values, how can I
make the greatest contribution to what needs to be done?” (p.25).
 StrengthsFinder has proven success.
It is used in academic, business, and nonprofit settings; over 2 million
people have taken it; it is available in over 24 languages
Three Key Findings in Strengths Research
1. The most effective leaders are always
investing in strengths.
2. The most effective leaders surround
themselves with the right people and then
maximize their team.
3. The most effective leaders understand their
followers’ needs.
StrengthsFinder 2.0 …
identifies areas where an individual’s greatest potential for building
strengths exists. It is a philosophy of using talents as the basis for
consistent achievement of excellence (strengths). Individuals are able to
gain far more when they expend effort to build on their greatest talents.
If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be
great at anything.
PART I: INVESTING IN YOUR STRENGTHS
34 Themes
“I’ve never met an effective leader who wasn’t aware of his talents and
working to sharpen them”
–Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark
Let’s Assess …
Person A
Strategic
Activator
Adaptability
Maximizer
Woo
Person B
Achiever
Learner
Input
Activator
Focus
Select A Strength
We all lead in very
different ways based on
our talents and our
limitations. Serious
problems occur when we
think we need to be
exactly like [any other]
leaders.
Using my Strengths, where and how
can I contribute to my area and the
Division in 2014-2015?
[Personal Goal Setting]
The most cohesive and successful teams possessed broader groupings of
strengths.
PART II: MAXIMIZING YOUR TEAM
The Four Domains of
Leadership Strength
Executing
• Know how to make things happen; ability to “catch” an idea and make it a reality
Influencing
• Reach a broader audience; sell the team’s ideas inside and outside the organization
Relationship Building
• Glue that holds the team together; create groups and organizations that are much
greater than the sum of their parts
Strategic Thinking
• Focused on what could be; absorb and analyze information to make better decisions
The Four Domains of
Leadership Strength
Executing
Influencing
RelationshipBuilding
Strategic-Thinking
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Command
Developer
Context
Belief
Communication
Connectedness
Futuristic
Consistency
Competition
Empathy
Ideation
Deliberative
Maximizer
Harmony
Input
Discipline
Self-Assurance
Includer
Intellection
Focus
Significance
Individualization
Learner
Responsibility
Woo
Positivity
Strategic
Restorative
Relator
Teams for Large Departments/Offices
Campus Life #1
Campus Life #2
HRL #1
HRL #2
Nicole Fedders
Amelie Brogden
Sean Ahlum
Uchenna Baker
Sandra Jackson
Bill DiNome
Al Bright
Carrie Hammer
Jon Kapell
Cynthia Hartmann
Danny Hall
Matt Herrington
Zach Hollenbaugh
Alan Hinton
Justin Inscoe
Tiffani Idol
Stefanie Mancuso
Nancy Maready
Veronica Sills
Cassandra Jenkins
Larry Wray
Amanda Turner
Nic Troutman
Brad Reid
Chris Riendeau
Meredith Vaughn
Kristen Tucker
Clifton Williams
Jamar Whitfield
Campus Rec #1
Campus Rec #2
Student Health #1
Student Health #2
Thomas Bartolotta
Jake Eubank
Wendy Bledsoe
Rachel Baldwin
Sarah Gilbert
Drew Loso
Emily Bridgman
Charlie Bay
Zach Gilbert
Tim McNeilly
Mary Canel
Becky Buckley
David Parker
Amanda Wiggins
Kathy Hodge
Heidi Gierie
Leigh Lane
Linda Howard
Brian Stelzer
Walt Laughlin
Terry Ismert
Nathan Williams
Nancy Patz
Ranae Roots
Country Simmons
Trisha Tinney
Andy Rampe
Katrin Wesner
How Do Your Team’s Strengths
Work Together?
• Based on your self reflection, how do your individual ways of
contributing align with your team’s strengths?
• Does your team utilize individuals’ strengths well? If so,
how? If not, how could you?
• Where are you strong as a team? Where might you run into
concerns?
• How do your team’s strengths serve students?
• How do your team’s strengths contribute the Division?
The Divisional Snapshot
Division of Student Affairs Compiled Strengths 2014
Achiever
Arranger
Belief
Consistency
Deliberative
Discipline
Focus
Responsibility
Restorative
Activator
Command
Communication
Competition
Maximizer
Self-Assurance
Significance
Woo
Adaptability
Connectedness
Developer
Empathy
Harmony
Includer
Individualization
Positivity
Relator
Analytical
Context
Futuristic
Ideation
Input
Intellection
Learner
Strategic
46
43
40
38
30
29
36
33
31
33
28
25
25
22
21
19
19
16
13
14
13
19
18
16
14
11
10
7
20
6
1
2
2
4
If you want to lead, it is critical to know what the people around you
need and expect from you. You are only a leader if others follow.
PART III: UNDERSTANDING WHY
PEOPLE FOLLOW
Consider someone you view as a
leader and someone you would
“follow.”
Why would you follow that person?
Follower’s Four Basic Needs
1. Trust (honesty, integrity, & respect)
2. Compassion (caring, friendship, happiness, & love)
3. Stability (security, strength, support, & peace)
4. Hope (direction, faith, & guidance)
Reflect. Share. Practice. Build.
WHAT NOW??
Combining Strengths: Future Uses
•
•
•
•
Staff Retreats
Search Committees
Division Committees
Connecting with students (classes,
organizations, Executive Boards, etc.)
Thank You!!
Questions? Comments?
Sonja Ardoin, Christina Logan,
Mike Phillips, Jaime Russell