Do you feel appreciated at work? Do you have the chance to do what you do best every day? Do you know what is expected of you? Does your manager know you and focus you? Fully engaged people can answer these questions with a resounding yes!


Positive leaders tap into the intrinsic motivation of employees. They focus on strengths and mitigate weaknesses.


Strengths according to Marcus Buckingham, Now Discover Your Strengths, are an activity that makes you feel strong. Positive leaders provide clarity and focus on core strengths. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple is quoted as saying “Our strength is lick able design.” Who are you really? What are your strengths?


A Strengths-Based Approach


There's a reason why managers’ focus on strengths and weaknesses is so important. Most organizations are obsessed with fixing weaknesses. They consequently conduct performance reviews, 360-degree assessments and they like to evaluate how well employees and managers are measuring up to predefined goals and competencies.


Managers are instructed to look at an employee’s assessed gap and coach for greater performance in areas of weakness. The goal is to raise awareness of deficiencies and encourage progress toward a set standard, building strength where it is lacking. An executive coach, an offsite training program and in-house learning programs may be assigned.


Such assessments, however, usually pay only cursory attention to an employee's strengths. The assessment, performance review and subsequent remedial programs focus instead almost exclusively on gaps or weaknesses.


Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches are hired to provide training in emotional intelligence and leadership development? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders improve their ability to appreciate people in the moment? Leaders at all levels need to improve their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills.


One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I positively supporting employee’s well-being and engagement?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for positive leaders who help their employees to be fully engaged and happy at work.


What actions can you take today to be a more positive leader? What activities unleash your people’s strengths? Companies need more great managers and leaders.


Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you work with people's strengths and ensure sustainable business success. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.