Strengths-Based Development

At Zenger Folkman, our development experiences are centered on Strengths-Based Development. This approach addresses a crucial dilemma faced by individuals crafting a personal development plan: should the focus be on remedying weaknesses or on enhancing strengths? Our research reveals that exceptional leaders are distinguished not by a lack of shortcomings but by the presence of significant strengths.

This insight underpins our feedback assessments, which are designed to assist individuals and leaders in identifying, cultivating, and leveraging their strengths to achieve their career objectives.

Understanding More About Strengths-Based Development

We perceive strengths as vital job competencies or behaviors that are applicable across a variety of situations, persist over time, and yield outstanding outcomes for the organization. Our definition of a strength is a behavior or characteristic that your manager, peers, and direct reports unanimously recognize as one of your top talents, positioning you in the 90th percentile. This trait is not only regarded as crucial for leadership within organizations but also differentiates the most successful leaders from the rest.

Our efforts at Zenger Folkman have been dedicated to exploring how strengths influence exceptional leadership. Our findings support the idea that possessing a handful of strengths, specifically 4–5, can propel leaders to the pinnacle of their organizations.

The Appeal of Strengths-Based Development

The rationale for focusing on strengths is compelling and widely accepted. This perspective gains further support from robust data demonstrating a direct correlation between effective leadership and the number of strengths an individual has. Moreover, most people find that developing their strengths is more engaging and enjoyable.

Discover our solutions for leaders.