Strengths-Based Leadership - Essay Example

"Strengths-Based Leadership" is a decent example of a paper on care.
It is important for nurse managers to focus their leadership on the strengths of their employees. In other words, they should focus primarily on the strengths of their employees rather than their weaknesses. This paper elucidates two of my top strengths as a leader and describes a situation of a problematic employee I have observed in the past and how I could leverage my strengths to successfully manage the situation. Lastly, this paper explicates ways I might capitalize on the strengths of the employee involved in the problematic situation to successfully resolve the situation.

My individual strengths as a leader

One of my strengths is my ability to communicate effectively and listen to others. There are some urgent situations within organizations that require fast resolutions to be made and communicated across the board. Having the capacity to communicate effectively, therefore, makes it possible for me to make employees understand their responsibilities and duties within the organization (Lussier and Hendon, 2013). Secondly, I am an effective team player. As a team player, I am able to pitch-in when my employees are faced with difficulties in conducting their responsibilities in relation to organizational objectives (Lussieer and Hendon, 2013).

Example of a problematic situation and leveraging my strengths 

An example of a problematic situation I have observed in my organization happened when employees started arriving late at work, disappearing during working hours without any explanation, and sometimes leaving early from work. In such a situation, my own strengths could be leveraged to effectively manage this situation. I could leverage effective communication, in this case, to manage this situation through initiating dialogue with the employees (Tyra, 2011). There is a reason for each and every behavior and hence encouraging the employees to share their sentiments could help identify the root problem and subsequently address the problem before it is exacerbated. After dialogue with the employees, I observed that many of them were dissatisfied and under-motivated in their work. I would build teams based on individual skills and abilities, and as a team player implement ways to empower them. One of the qualities of a team player as outlined by Lussier and Hendon (2013) is problem-solving. Therefore,  I would help identify the reasons behind the employee's behavior and collaborate with other employees to find appropriate solutions. As a team player, I would encourage employees to join teams conducting projects they are passionate about within the organization. 

Capitalizing on employees' strengths

There are also ways I can capitalize on the strengths of the employees to successfully resolve the situation. One of the ways is the creation of a culture of transparency or openness within the organization. According to Lussier and Hendon (2013), employees are more satisfied and motivated in their work when the manager or supervisor listens to them and considers their input in decision making. Secondly, it would be important for me to help employees identify what they are good at and give them responsibilities aligned with their talents (Kanefield, 2011). This would help break the monotony and heighten the spirits of the employees through engaging them in activities they enjoy and also in activities they can employ their skills, knowledge, and abilities to the fullest.    

 In conclusion, a strength-based approach to leadership helps managers identify areas each of their employees is good at and subsequently assign them duties on the basis of these strengths. Examples of strengths of a manager include effective communication and the ability to work in a team or group. Encouraging a culture of transparency and helping employees identify their talents can increase productivity in the workplace as this heartens motivation and job satisfaction.