This month here at Onward we are focusing on the bright spots. Elena Aguilar shares in Chapter 7: Most simply said, here’s what it comes down to when we want to make change: We can focus on what isn’t working and do less of it, or we can focus on what is working and do more of that. Ideally we’ll do a bit of both, but if we start with what is working, we can galvanize energy to make change.
So as a school leader imagine what is possible if you focus on the what is working with your staff? The Forbes article Four Essentials of Strength-Based Leadership talks about this approach in the business world, but it is so applicable to our school system as well. The simple truth is that if we stop trying to “fix” our employees and rather focus on their strengths and their passions, we can create a fervent army of brand evangelists who, when empowered, could take our brand and our products to a whole new level.
And I love the simplicity of the ABCD of strength-based leadership that is shared:
- Align, don’t fix
- Build diverse teams
- Create the culture of transparency
- Don’t manage, empower