Last week I read “Strengths Based Leadership” from Gallup (learn more about them here). Now over the years I have discovered what I think I do well and what I think my strengths are as a leader. I now try to work to my strengths and gather people round me who are strong in the areas I am weak. This book has been very helpful in putting my strengths into some kind of order. Before you think that this a big up Iain blog, it really isn’t, it is just helpful to know what you do well and concentrate the majority of your energy on those things.
This book gives some great examples from the world of business, where people have played to their strengths. It could be said that these people are the exception or that business models don’t fit within the church context. Whilst I would agree that not everyone can lead a FTSE 100 company and nor do I particulary like the CEO model of church leadership, there is something in discovering what we are good at and running with it.
The challenge is to contextualise our strengths to wherever it is we may be serving so that we do the best that we possibly can, grow in serving in our strength and release others to do the same.
I know for me as a church leader, I feel most energised when I work to my strengths. You can see below the results of my strengths test,I think that they ring pretty true. In the test you have to go with your first reaction, as you only get 20 seconds to answer each question, so it doesn’t allow you time to think to much about it and “fix” what you would like to be your strengths! I think our teams and our communities would be better for everyone working to the their strengths. How can you make that happen?
So what about you? Do you know what are your strengths? Are you able to work to them the majority of the time?
Posted on October 5, 2011
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