Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Abundant Leader

Weakness is easy to find. Shortcomings can be spotted quickly. Determining deficits defines direction. Pretty much any leader can do any of these things but the abundant leader digs deeper to discover potential.

Setting goals for improvement is a logical next step. Defining plans for action helps initiate the process. The problem with this mindset is that leaders think they have little to start with. Deficit-based leadership starts with nothing to move to something. 

But the abundant leader sees things differently. Sure, they see deficits just like every other leader, but they delve deeper within weakness to find strength. They see ability, passion, will.  While the deficit-based leader starts with nothing and moves to something, the abundant leader starts with something to move to everything. 

Are you an abundant leader?

1.  Do you define what people can do before you create plans for what they need to do?

2.  Do you leverage strengths or just notice them?

3.  Do you use a person's strengths to create initial plans for growth and improvement?

4.  Do you celebrate a person's strengths as the catalyst to motivate growth?

5.  Do you help the person see the potential within their strengths before acknowledging their weaknesses?

Abundance is Opportunity

The problem is that our mindset isn't easily conditioned to seek opportunities. The abundant leader doesn't always see a surplus of strength, but they know that it is there; however, they believe that it is their job to search for it like a miner pans for gold. Every person has worth. Every person has value. The abundant leader knows their job is to help each person discover their worth and value because it is an investment in the organizational improvement.  The higher the value uncovered, the bigger investment is made in growth and improvement. 

Abundance is often overlooked because leaders are pressured to deliver results, but if leaders can pull back and exert patience, their eyes will be opened. By taking the extra minute to survey each person's true reality, leaders can transform the vision of a growth-mindset grounded in replacement into a mindset of growth by adding value to the worth that is already there.   

No comments:

Post a Comment