{"id":687,"date":"2018-02-06T13:10:01","date_gmt":"2018-02-06T20:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/?p=687"},"modified":"2018-02-06T13:10:01","modified_gmt":"2018-02-06T20:10:01","slug":"personal-leadership-play-to-your-strengths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/personal-leadership-play-to-your-strengths\/","title":{"rendered":"Personal leadership: play to your strengths"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An example of strategic and creative thinking in leading organizational change management.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be an effective leader, it is important to play to your strengths.\u00a0<\/span>Research backs this perspective, indicating people who know and use their strengths are six times more likely to be engaged at work and be almost eight percent more productive in their role (Gallup Strengths Centre, 2017a). <\/span>Marcus Buckingham, co-author of <\/span>Now, Discover Your Strengths<\/span><\/i> (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001) says, \u201cwhen people spend the majority of each day on the job using their greatest talents and engaged in their favorite tasks, basically doing exactly what they want to do, both they and their organizations will win\u201d (Buckingham, 2017, para. 2).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I used Clifton\u2019s StrengthsFinder Assessment (2009) and Seligman\u2019s Values in Action (VIA) Signature Strengths Test (2013) to define my personal strengths.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0As a result, two strengths on which I have built my professional practice are strategic thinking and creativity.\u00a0<\/span>Embodying a strategic and creative mindset has influenced my personal leadership style and has helped me lead clients through digital learning projects.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Strategic thinking and creativity<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Strategic thinking is about making good decisions. It means analyzing information, identifying problems, looking at situations from multiple perspectives, not making assumptions, and using evidence to inform decisions (Seligman, 2013;\u00a0<\/span>Clifton, 2009). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Creativity is about coming up with new ideas and exploring different ways of doing things. <\/span>From a personal perspective, it means, \u201cYou are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible\u201d (VIA Institute of Character, 2018), while o<\/span>rganizationally, it means \u201cbeing able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena\u201d (Gallup Strengths Centre, 2012b, Ideation).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have seen real-life evidence in my professional life, both through my own practice and by observing others, that strategic thinking and creativity are two attributes of effective leadership.\u00a0Academic literature grounds this evidence in theory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Connecting leadership theories to personal strengths<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Strategic and creative personal strengths can be underpinned by multiple theories of leadership, only two of which I will explore here: reflective leadership and adaptive leadership.\u00a0<\/span>Both reflective and adaptive leadership connect to strategic thinking through analytical, problem-solving, critical thinking, questioning, and decision-making skills.\u00a0Similarly, reflective and adaptive leadership connect to creativity through the ability to be innovative and generate new ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Castelli (2015) speaks to the strategic and creative mindsets required of leaders, saying, “Internal characteristics such as critical thinking, long-term planning and finding innovative ways to solve problems with an equal focus on people and profit is the basis for reflective leadership” (p. 218).<\/span><\/p>\n

In the context of adaptive leadership, Khan (2017) also speaks to the need for leaders to be strategic, saying “Adaptive leaders are adept in knowing what the problems are, defining them carefully, and finding appropriate solutions” (p. 179). However, Khan cautions that adaptive leadership is not always well-received within organizations. Resistance to change can hamper a leader’s willingness to be creative and propose innovative ideas that may help solve organizational issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leadership through organizational change<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

After drawing a connection between strategic thinking, creativity, and leadership, I would describe my leadership approach as not only strategic and creative but also reflective and adaptive.\u00a0Adaptive and reflective theories of leadership share some commonalities, one of which is the ability to help organizations manage change. My career in organizational change management is no coincidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Starting my career in corporate communications, I was soon drawn to change management, which was characterized by a working environment that evolved daily in response to new and changing circumstances. I thrived on the challenge of analyzing problems and coming up with solutions, and I prided myself on ideas that were not only pragmatic but also\u00a0new and innovative. (For example, I created a comic strip that gave employees a voice during a challenging enterprise-wise business transformation program; the comic strip enabled the organization to address employee concerns in a human, empathetic way.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Having supported multiple enterprise-wide technology implementations and business improvement initiatives over the last ten years, I agree with both Castelli (2015) and Khan (2017) that now, more than ever, today’s leaders need to manage change effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaders need to take a more thoughtful approach to decision making to achieve organizational goals, especially the pace of change in a global marketplace continues to accelerate and grow in complexity (Castelli, 2015).\u00a0<\/span>At the same time, leaders need to pay attention to the external environment, because factors outside their control are creating pressure on organizations to change (Khan, 2017).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While Castelli (2015) and Khan (2017) both advocate for managing change effectively, one author\u00a0advocates for a highly introspective approach while the other advocates for a focus on the surrounding environment.\u00a0<\/span>I would argue managing change requires both an inward (reflective) and outward (adaptive) perspective. Only by balancing reflective and adaptive leadership approaches can leaders be effective in managing change.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Digital leadership and change<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

If strategic thinking and creativity are part of reflective and adaptive leadership, and if both theories of leadership are helpful in\u00a0leading organizational change, how might strategic thinking and creativity help leaders manage ever-changing digital learning environments?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sheninger (2014), says \u201cDigital leadership is not about flashy tools, but a strategic mindset that leverages available resources to improve what we do, while anticipating the changes needed to cultivate a \u2026culture focused on engagement and achievement\u201d (p. 2).\u00a0<\/span>He continues, \u201cLeaders must begin to establish a vision and strategic plan …dedicated to learning in a more digital world\u201d (p. 4).\u00a0<\/span><\/span>To see how Sheninger\u2019s statements might play out in real life, I turned to my own professional practice. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

M<\/span>any clients have asked for help managing change within their digital learning environment, and one example in particular comes to mind. Notoriously slow to adopt new technologies, a client is finally venturing into the world of e-learning. Unfortunately, the organization has no desire to create e-learning courses suitable for mobile devices. With the trend toward organizational Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs and Gartner (2016) confirming use of personal smartphones for business as a workplace standard, I believe my client is being short-sighted in their desktop-only approach to e-learning.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After considering both my client’s long-term and short-term needs (reflective leadership) and being aware of external trends (adaptive leadership), I proposed an authoring tool with a fully responsive e-learning platform (a strategic, creative solution). My client accepted the proposal, so even though the organization is not ready for mobile learning just yet, it will be prepared for mobile learning in the future, without needing to rebuild all of its desktop e-learning courses from scratch.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the power of adaptive and reflective leadership, and the power of playing to your strengths.<\/span><\/p>\n

References<\/h4>\n
\n

Buckingham, M. (2017). Marcus Buckingham. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.marcusbuckingham.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Buckingham, M. & Clifton,\u00a0D. (2001). Now, Discover Your Strengths.<\/em> New York: Gallup Press.<\/span><\/p>\n

Castelli, P. (2015). Reflective leadership review: a framework for improving organisational performance. Journal of Management Development, 35<\/em>(2), 190-216. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/JMD-08-2015-0112<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Clifton, D. (2009). StrengthsFinder Assessment.<\/em> New York: Gallup Press.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gallup Strengths Centre. (2017a). Discover the assessment empowering 17,935,282 people to succeed.<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/www.gallupstrengthscenter.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Gallup Strengths Centre. (2017b). Understand how your talents work with others. <\/em>Retrieved from https:\/\/www.gallupstrengthscenter.com\/Home\/en-US\/CliftonStrengths-Themes-Domains<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Gartner (2016).\u00a0Gartner Survey Shows That Mobile Device Adoption in the Workplace Is Not Yet Mature. <\/em>Retrieved from\u00a0https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/newsroom\/id\/3528217<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Khan, N. (2017).\u00a0Adaptive or Transactional Leadership in Current Higher Education: A Brief Comparison.\u00a0The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning,\u00a018<\/em>(3), 178-183.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rath, T. (2007) StrengthsFinder 2.0.<\/em> New York: Gallup Press.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seligman, M. (2012). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being.<\/em> New York: <\/span>Attria Books.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seligman, M. (2013). Values in Action (VIA) Signature Strengths Test.<\/em> Retrieved from\u00a0https:\/\/www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu\/testcenter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sheninger, E. (2014).\u00a0Pillars of digital leadership. <\/em>International Centre for Leadership in Education.<\/span><\/p>\n

VIA Institute on Character. Creativity.<\/em> (2018) Retrieved from https:\/\/www.viacharacter.org\/www\/Character-Strengths\/Creativity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Zeroes 2 Heroes. (2010). Unfinished business.<\/em>\u00a0[Cartoon].<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To be an effective leader, it is important to play to your strengths.\u00a0Research backs this perspective, indicating people who know and use their strengths are six times more likely to be engaged at work and be almost eight percent more productive in their role (Gallup Strengths Centre, 2017a). Marcus Buckingham, co-author of Now, Discover Your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lrnt525"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":711,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687\/revisions\/711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}